I Heart You: II
by SoraxKairi7
Summary: Kairi and Sora are married with twins. Sora has tons of Blitzball games and practices to go to, leaving her alone with the kids. When she gets pregnant again, will Sora be around?
1. Eleven Years Later

**A/N**: I'm back! And in so little time too… because well, I have nothing to do! Once again, I am not really planning this story either… go with the flow! Hehe… so it's difficult to make a summary… but overall…

**Summary**: Sora and Kairi are married. Eleven years have gone by, and they are living on their own now with two twin boys. Can they survive married life? (So the summary sucks… sue me. :D)

**Sora**: Of course we can!

**Kairi**: Yeah!

---

**Chapter One – Eleven Years Later**

A woman in her late twenties rested in her bed on a Monday afternoon. She was extremely tired, and this was the first time she was able to get a break in a while. You could say her life was easy, but that would be lying. A simple life was a little too much to ask for.

Kairi heard a school bus driving down the street. She knew her relaxation time was about to be ruined…

"What? I did not!"

The front door busted open. From what she could hear, the twins weren't too happy right now. Kosuke and Akira were arguing in the other room.

Kosuke and Akira were going on nine in December. Kairi remembered when they were born… how much of a joy the first few hours were. And then came in the double diaper changing, crying, late nights without any sleep at all, and a whole lot of other stress.

"Liar! You told Nikki! I know it!"

"No I didn't!"

Kairi sighed and got out of bed. She stretched for a little bit. Her long, red hair hung down past her waist. Kairi made her way into the kitchen where the twins were still fighting for whatever reason.

"Hi mom!" They said at the same time and then went back to their argument. Kairi waved and yawned. She took a glass out of the cabinet and poured herself some water.

"Nikki came up to me and slapped me because of you!" Akira shouted. Kairi looked over at them. She was interested now.

"I swear I didn't tell her!" Kosuke headed for the TV room. Akira stood in front of him with his arms crossed, not letting him pass. Apparently they had forgotten that their mother was present, because they just wouldn't be quiet.

"Okay, drop it." Kairi demanded once she saw Akira make a fist. She had never seen twins fight so much. She wasn't really in the mood to yell, considering she just woke up about fifteen minutes before. The twins stopped, looked at her, and then walked out of the room having a little ''whisper argue.''

Kairi rolled her eyes and took a drink. She looked out the window. It was a beautiful day outside. They had just recently moved to Twilight Town a couple years ago, and Kairi had to admit that she liked it here. Orett, who used to be her pen pal, lived right next door. Kairi never thought that she would be able to live anywhere else, which kind of surprised her.

For dinner that night, the twins and Kairi sat down around the table and said their prayers. Kairi decided to order some pizza since she was too tired to cook. The night before, she didn't really get much sleep. However, that was normal nowadays.

"I'm home!" Sora walked in the door carrying his gym bag. Kosuke and Akira jumped out of their seats and rushed over to him. Kairi didn't want to touch him since he was all sweaty, and Sora knew that. His dark brown hair was wet and completely messed up. He had just come back from Blitzball practice. He played for the Twilight Town Hornets.

Kosuke and Akira looked like miniature versions of Sora, with the exception of a bit straighter, reddish hair. They usually wore the same clothes; baggy sweatpants and a sleeve-less shirt. Akira was a daredevil. He loved to play tricks on people and get in all sorts of trouble. Kosuke was more on the calmer side… and usually would just sit back and watch.

Sora on the other hand was a great father… when he was around. With all the Blitzball practices and games… and the fame, sometimes he would not be able to return home for days. However, he always told Kairi where he would be so she didn't have to worry too much. He would be gone for the first week of every other month due to away games. Sora traveled everywhere. The last game he had was against West Destiny Island's team. They won against them easily.

After dinner, Kairi got Akira to wash the dishes and Kosuke to dry and put them away. There at least were a few benefits to having twins…

Sora came out of the shower right when Kairi entered the room. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked over to the dresser.

"So how was your day?" He asked her as he put a shirt on. Kairi sat on the bed and made herself comfortable.

"It was all right." After Sora was done getting dressed, he closed the door and locked it. He got into bed with Kairi and kissed her. She rested her head on his chest. Sora set his warm hand on hers and smiled. They hadn't been intimate like this for a while.

"So…" He whispered, making eye contact with her. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Kairi put her finger over it. She wasn't as shy as she used to be…

"How long has it been?" She asked in a low tone. Sora shrugged. Kairi leaned down and kissed him. Sora didn't turn it down; he thought it had been a while as well. Kairi got on top of him. Sora was a little surprised at how she was acting, but he was loving every moment of it. Kairi's finger tickled his neck as she continued to make out with her husband. She wanted to do this. However, just as they were about to go a bit further, they heard something break in the other room.

"Oh shit…" Sora smacked himself in the forehead.

"It must be the twins…" Kairi sighed disappointedly.

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**Sora**: Okay… this story is rated T!

**Me**: I know. I won't let you two have sex.Why do you think I made something break before they were about to get it on?

**Kairi**: You know… that just made us sound like old people…

**Me**: You are so wrong…


	2. What A Lovely Day

**Chapter Two – What a Lovely Day**

_"Oh no! Don't hurt her, Sousuke! Please!"_

Kairi took off her headphones. She was a voice actress for a popular anime show called "Futaride DISTANCE." (**A/N**: Sound familiar? Hehe) Kairi had been working here for a little over a year, and she loved her job. Voice acting was actually pretty fun, and paid a decent amount too.

"Excellent!" Her boss, Mr. Yamada, met her at the door. He was watching her through a window, recording everything. Kairi smiled.

"I am thrilled to have you as an employee, Mrs. Kiyamoto. I don't know where we would be without you! You really put the voice into your character and I love that about you!" Her boss gave her compliments everyday. It was almost scary at times.

Kairi walked out of the studio and out into the town. She was extremely tired. It had been a long day and she couldn't wait to get home. Since she lived just around the corner, she could walk to and from work. It was better than spending a lot of money for gas to drive. It was getting late, and she was sure the twins were sick of the babysitter by now. She opened the door.

"Mom!" Akira said happily, hugging her. He seemed pretty hyper as usual. Kosuke was asleep on the couch. The babysitter, Anna, came into the room.

"Oh, hello. They were angels!"

Anna was going on eighteen. She had short, black hair and wore makeup all the time. She was pretty tall for a girl. She lived down the street from them, so it was pretty convenient. Plus, Kairi felt that she could trust Anna with anything. The twins were pretty tough kids to handle, but she was confident that Anna had the skills that would send them to bed in an instant.

"Thank you, Anna." She pulled out twenty munny and handed it to her. Anna left.

"SHE'S EVIL!" Akira yelled. Kairi tried to shush him, but he wouldn't. He did this every single time they had Anna for a babysitter.

"What do you have against Anna?" Kairi asked as he followed her into the kitchen. "And please try to keep it down, your brother is sleeping."

"DUH, because she gave him some sort of poison! I checked his pulse! He's not breathing!" Kairi stared at him for a while and then shook her head.

"I'll show you!" He grabbed her hand. "Come on!"

Akira pulled her into the TV room over to the couch. Kosuke was definitely breathing; Kairi could tell. Akira lifted Kosuke's hand up and wrapped his hand around his wrist like it was a cup. Kairi raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Kosuke's eyes opened.

"What are you doing?" He asked, still a little out of it. Akira let go and turned to his mother, laughing nervously.

"Heh… he's alive again…"

"Oy…" Kairi went back to the kitchen. Sora walked in the door. He had been out with some friends all day, which made Kairi a little angry. She tried not to show it, though.

"Hey babe." He kissed her. Kairi tried to hold back from yelling at him. She hated the fact that he had fun all the time and just thought that he could go out whenever he wanted when they had the kids at home. Ironic, eh? He also needed to spend more time with the twins… since he wasn't around much.

"Hello." She sounded a bit distant, but Sora didn't seem to notice. He was sitting at the table munching an apple and reading the paper. For the past few years, her and Sora had been a little… remote from each other. Ever since Sora came home that night and said he made the team, their lives changed, and not generally for the better with some of the circumstances. What really annoyed Kairi the most was the fact that he didn't even realize that his sons probably felt like he didn't care about them.

"So how was your day?" He set the newspaper down and took another bite of the apple. Kairi shrugged.

"It was okay."

"Something wrong?" About time he noticed…

"No!" She gave him a faint smile and looked away. Kosuke and Akira came into the room.

"Dad!" They both glomped him.

"Whoa!" Sora laughed.

"Our babysitter is EVIL! You believe me, right dad?" Akira asked. Kosuke rolled his eyes.

"No she's not! Quit saying that!" He defended.

"Oh," Akira said mockingly, "you're only sticking up for her because you think she's hot! Seriously, you drool over her every time she comes here!"

"Do not!" Kosuke yelled. His face went red.

"Okay, okay… that's enough." Sora said calmly. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Kairi was wondering when he was going to ask that, because it was going on nine o clock. The twins groaned.

"But dad… we're old enough to stay up as long as you guys do!" They said at the same time. Sora and Kairi were used to the surround sound.

"I don't think so. Off to bed."

"But—" Akira started, but Sora shook his head and pointed towards the stairs. The twins walked out of the room slowly. Kairi and Sora yelled goodnight to them.

After they were all the way up the stairs, Sora stood up and went over to Kairi. He stood in front of her and locked her hands in his. Kissing her forehead softly, Kairi felt a bit of relief. Sora could be a pain sometimes, but others he was just really sweet…

"What's the matter?" He asked in a low tone. Kairi shook her head.

"Nothing, I'm just tired… that's all…" Would that be considered lying?

"I think we should take a vacation… all four of us." Sora said cheerfully, changing the subject. Kairi gave him a strange look.

"If you've forgotten, our kids have school."

"I mean like on the weekend or something. They can miss _one_ Friday, can't they?" Sora reasoned.

"And where would we go?" Kairi expected a good answer.

"Well," Sora paused, "how about Destiny beach? You know, the place we all went when we were like fourteen or so…"

Kairi had actually wanted to go there for a while. She needed a break. She hadn't been there since she left Destiny Islands to come and live in Twilight Town. She also hadn't seen her family lately either.

"I'll think about it."

Sora kissed her again, but got a little carried away. He massaged her arm with his hand as he put his other hand around her waist. Kairi went with it and pulled him closer to her.

"Ew, you two are sick!" They saw the twins standing in the doorway. Kosuke was holding a glass of water. Sora and Kairi separated.

"Get to bed!" Sora said firmly. They ran back upstairs.

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**A/N**: Looks like we have a few marriage problems… hehe… those twins ruin everything! Wow, I didn't expect so many reviews for the first chapter… thanks guys! Keep reading!


	3. Where'd The Others Go?

**Chapter Three—Where'd the Others Go?**

A brownish-blonde haired man in his early twenties was humming a song as he moved quickly down the illuminated streets of Twilight Town. He was on his way home. This was the third time the poor man had been late for dinner, and he knew his wife was going to be pissed once again. Not to mention their seven-year old daughter, Haruka, wasn't really going to be too happy either.

"Roxas! Where have you been?" Snapped Namine as she tapped her foot up and down furiously. Her arms were crossed and her glare gave Roxas chills.

"I'm sorry… I—" 

"_Don't _even say anything…" Namine took in deep breaths. And then in a lower tone, she said, "We were supposed to go over to Kairi's house tonight. I had to cancel it!"

"Oh man… I'm so sorry…" Roxas decided it was best to walk out of the room before Namine said anything else. He had to avoid all the tension coming from her somehow because he didn't really feel like dealing with it. She nagged him constantly about his whereabouts and why he went most nights without eating anything with the family. 

Roxas gave his face a refreshing splash of hot water as he washed it. He had gotten off work two hours before; when Namine expected him to be home. However, Roxas had a problem with getting distracted too easily and often would walk off in that direction just to see what was going on. Today there was a fight in front of the police station and he wanted to watch. Weapons were involved.

"Roxas, did you pick up our laundry?" Namine called from the kitchen. Roxas smacked himself in the forehead. After Namine realized that he wasn't giving her an answer, she groaned once more.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Kairi's head was throbbing. She's had a headache all day and it was only getting worse with the twin's constant bickering. She wanted to yell at them, but Kairi usually didn't have the heart to do it. She was kind of glad that Namine cancelled their plans that day, because she wasn't feeling well at all. It was the beginning of November, and Sora had a game at a place Kairi had never heard of. It was going to be on international television that night, so she might as well watch it.

- - -

"Mom! Dad's on TV!" The twins yelled from the TV room. Kairi must've fallen asleep, because it was going on eight o' clock. She rushed into the TV room and sat in the lazy chair that usually Sora would be in.

"What a _close _game so far!" The announcer shouted. Kairi was used to watching Sora's games on the television. They could only afford going to the local games since Kairi had to work most days and the kids had school. 

"And another score by Sora Kiyamoto! What a player he is on and off the arena…"

Kairi didn't even bother to figure out what the announcer meant by that. The twins cheered for their father by nearly jumping out of their seats and doing strange dances. She was used to this behavior, especially from Selphie a long time ago…

Selphie was still living on Destiny Islands. Last Kairi heard, she was engaged to a man she met in college. Kairi only went to college for two years and decided to quit when the twins were born. Sora went the full four years and completed it. Not too long after that, he was accepted onto the Blitzball team. There were many nights that Kairi was left at home all alone with Kosuke and Akira. Things were very stressful.

However, Sora always found a way to make it up to her and their kids somehow. When the twins were five, Sora took everyone out to an amusement park on the other side of town. Of course it wasn't enough to replace Kairi's small resentment towards him at the time, but the kids certainly enjoyed it. When Kairi was with Sora, he was always so loving and caring, but when he was away, she seemed to hate it…

The game was over. They lost by one point. Kairi shrugged it off and sent Akira and Kosuke off to bed. They were really disappointed about the loss, but Kairi knew they'd get over it eventually.

Namine called that night and apologized for Roxas' behavior. Kairi said over and over again that it was all right, but with Namine's habit to always worry it really made the situation worse than it was.

If you're wondering about what happened to Namine and Riku, they broke up in college. Riku was flirting with too many girls and Namine couldn't take it. She met Roxas when she attended her fourth year of college and fell in love with him. They got married about two years later and had a daughter named Haruka. Namine had short hair; shorter than it was in high school. It was about down to her shoulders. It was a good look for her.

"How about tomorrow?" Kairi asked after a huge yawn.

"Sorry… I have to work…" Namine replied sadly.

"Oh. I do too…"

"How about Sunday night?"

Kairi went through her mind and tried to think if they had anything to do on Sunday. Once she realized her schedule was clean, she accepted. Plus, Sora would be home that day, so it would work. They got off the phone and Kairi went to bed.

- - -

That Sunday, Namine and her family arrived at the house. Sora hadn't gotten home yet. Haruka and the twins were good friends, thank goodness. They went upstairs to play video games while Kairi stood in the kitchen with Namine and Roxas.

"So Sora's not back yet?" Roxas asked stupidly. Kairi shook her head. Namine could sense a bit of irritation.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" 

"Yes. I'm fine." She took some plates out from the cabinet and set them around the table. Namine and Roxas helped.

Dinner started. Everyone sat down at the table and said grace. Kairi had gotten used to eating without Sora, so it didn't really bother her much. The twins seemed to have gotten used to it too, so they didn't complain anymore.

"Is he usually gone like this?" Namine questioned. She wouldn't let it go.

"Yes." Kairi answered simply, not looking up.

"Dad comes home whenever he feels like it." Akira blurted out. Kairi gave him an angry look that meant drop it.

After dinner, Roxas took Haruka home and the twins went to bed. Namine and Kairi sat in the living room and talked.

"Roxas has been getting on my nerves lately, too." Namine admitted.

"I believe it."

"It's just that… he forgets a lot of things. It's really starting to bug me."

Kairi yawned. "Yeah. You'll get used to it eventually."

Namine gave her a strange look. "You don't like the fact that Sora's on that team, do you?" Kairi took a while to answer.

"Um… not really…"

"So tell him." Namine reasoned. Was she crazy?

"I can't… he loves Blitzball more than anything…" She just realized she said that wrong.

"There's your problem." Namine said. "He should be at home more often. It's not right to just leave you here for days on end like that. Are you telling me that he doesn't have a clue that what he's doing is wrong?" Kairi shrugged. She didn't know what Sora thought anymore.

"That's pretty bad." Namine stood up and stretched. "I should be getting home, though. Roxas probably hasn't even stepped in the door yet, knowing him." She smiled. Kairi laughed a little and showed her to the door. Namine didn't live too far away, so it was all right for her to walk home.

"See ya later." Kairi waved.

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**A/N**: Yay! Another chapter! Go me!


	4. I Dunno What To Call This Chapter

**Chapter Four – I Don't Know What To Call This Chapter**

_"Oh Sora… you're so sweet…" Kairi giggled. They were standing under the moonlight completely wrapped in each other's arms. Today marked their three-year anniversary. Sora and Kairi had been hanging out all day; not to mention she was one month pregnant… _

"Hey," Sora stared into her eyes, making her knees weak. "Let's sit down, okay?" They took a seat on the sand and got comfortable. Sora put his arm around her and smiled goofily. Kairi blushed and looked away nervously. She was so shy…

"I've… been meaning to ask you lately…"

"Ask me what?" Kairi questioned.

"Well…" He took his arm off of her and started writing something in the sand. Kairi leaned over to try and see. She whispered to herself aloud as she read.

"Would… you…" Kairi squinted her eyes. Sora took his finger away and sighed. Kairi gasped.

"Would you marry me, Kairi?" Sora pulled out a glass seashell and opened it. Inside was a purple diamond ring, sparkling in the night sky. Kairi was speechless. He was proposing to her! But… were they really ready to actually start a family? She didn't have much choice about that since she was already pregnant, but still…

However, Kairi wanted more than anything to spend the rest of her life with Sora. He was the best person she had ever met, and there was no way she was going to let this chance go.

"Yes… yes Sora… I'll marry you…"

- - -

Kairi woke up early the next morning. She turned over to see Sora sleeping soundly next to her. He must've gotten home after she went to bed, because she didn't remember seeing him come in. Quietly, she tiptoed over to the door and headed for the kitchen. Sora's bags were on the table with a huge Blitzball trophy next to them. He must've been too tired to put them away. Kairi went upstairs to wake the kids up for school.

"Come on mom… school is just something the government wants to torture us with…" Akira whined, turning away from her. Kosuke was already out of bed getting dressed. Kairi pulled Akira's covers away from him. His eyes opened and he finally sat up. Kairi headed for the door. Akira fell back over in his bed. He did this a lot.

After the twins left for school, Kairi got some cereal out of the cabinet and started eating breakfast. Sora entered the room yawning.

"Good morning."

"Morning." Kairi didn't make eye contact with him.

"Sorry I didn't make it for dinner with Namine's family last night." Sora said. "Our train was late."

"Yeah."

"I was thinking… maybe we can all go out to eat tonight. You, me and the twins." Kairi gave him a strange look. He always offered something to try and make up for what he did wrong.

"I have to work."

"Oh… well…" He stared at the ceiling as if he was trying to think of something else, but nothing came. Kairi went over to the sink and placed her bowl in there. She figured Sora could wash the dishes this time. Without another word, she walked into the TV room and lay down on the couch.

She reached for a magazine off the table and started reading it. However, she just couldn't concentrate…

--Flashback--

_"I can't believe you're getting married!" Selphie exclaimed, being her usual hyper self. Kairi blushed and showed her the ring. _

"Marriage is such a wonderful thing…" Namine let out a big sigh. "You and Sora were meant for each other…"

"Yeah. I love him so much." Kairi said. "But… I'm afraid that the marriage will get a little… boring. I mean… you know all these things you hear about divorces and stuff… I don't want to fight with Sora…"

"All marriages have arguments… but some are just unlucky enough to have fights." Namine reasoned. She was right.

"I don't know…"

Selphie looked at her. "Are you ready for marriage, Kairi?"

"I… guess…"

End of flashback

"Man…" Kairi sighed heavily. Okay, so she wasn't exactly ready to get married at that time, but then again she wasn't exactly ready to have children either. It just happened. It's almost like she didn't have a choice. She loved Sora, and she still does, it's just that she didn't want to let her children grow up without a father. Although… it kind of seems like that nowadays… and she could've had Sora around when the children were born and still consider him the father. She didn't know what she was thinking.

"We lost our game." Sora sat down in the lazy chair.

"I saw. I'm sorry about that." Kairi pretended to read the magazine.

"Yeah… by one point… argh, I was so angry…" Sora noticed silence between them. "Are you okay? You've been acting weird lately."

"I'm great. I… just didn't get much sleep last night. Nothing new."

"Because you seem like you're mad at me or something." Sora said.

"Nope," she lied. She just didn't have the heart to tell him…

Obviously Sora wasn't buying it, but he decided to drop the subject.

Flashback

_"Do you, Sora, take Kairi to be your wife?" (A/N: whatever they say…) Sora nodded. "I do." He smiled at her. _

"And do you, Kairi, take Sora to be your husband?"

"I… do…"

"You may kiss the bride."

End of flashback

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**A/N**: Okay, so it's been a LONG time since I've been to a wedding… sue me… lol. I had a short writer's block… so yay… (sarcasm)


	5. The Play

**A/N**: AMAGOSH, I HATE writer's block…

- - -

**Chapter Five – The Play**

Saturday was a pretty long and tiring day for Sora and Kairi. It all began when the twins came into the TV room where Sora was trying to sleep…

"Dad! Come play some Blitzball with us!" They exclaimed. Sora looked over at the wearily. Last night wasn't exactly the best night; he almost got in a fight with Kairi…

Flashback

_"Kairi, tell me! Are you mad at me or not?" Sora rose to his feet. Kairi hated it when he was angry; she was one to avoid fights, or at least try to._

"No, Sora… I'm not mad at you for the last time…" She said quietly. It was obvious that she was lying. Sora sat down next to her on the couch and stared. Kairi tried not to look him in the eye since it would hurt too much.

"You've been acting distant around me. It's scaring me…" Sora said in a low tone as his eyes moved to the floor.

"I just… I don't know…" Kairi got up to head for the kitchen, but Sora grabbed her arm. She turned and looked at him for a while. He stood up next to her, holding both of her hands in his.

"If there's something wrong, whether it's about me or not, just tell me… I'm here for you…" He whispered.

"I can't…" She broke free of his grip and went into the kitchen. The truth was, she wanted him to give up his career as a Blitzball player so he could spend more time with the family, but she didn't have the heart to tell him that…

Sora followed her into the kitchen. She could tell that he was starting to get angry. Kairi went over to the sink and stared out the window.

"Kairi… tell me…" He nagged. Kairi could hear the impatience in his voice.

"I… just want to know…" She paused, "what happened to the good old days… when we were young and innocent… with no kids to worry about… or anything like that… just… you and me…"

Sora didn't say anything at first. He was a little shocked at her sudden depression, and knew that yelling wouldn't get them anywhere.

"I miss those days sometimes too… like back in high school and such…" 

Kairi nodded and leaned against the counter, still not looking at him. Her eyes lowered. She could feel tears coming, and she didn't want him to see her cry right now. She wanted to show him that she could be strong too, but she was just too sensitive…

"So it is something about me, huh?"

"Kind of…" She said softly. It was silent.

"…Why do you hide these things from me? I thought we trusted each other."

"We… do…"

"Hesitation?" Sora asked.

"Sora, I really don't feel like talking right now. Can we talk about this later?"

"No, we can't." She could hear irritation in his voice. He moved closer to her.

"Well, we're going to have to, because I am going to take a shower now." She started walking out of the room. Sora grabbed her arm once again, but this time his squeeze was a little harder than before, and it kind of hurt her.

"I'm tired of it, Kairi. You don't talk to me about anything anymore. You always say… oh, we'll talk about it later… blah blah, when really, you don't want to talk about it at all. What are you so afraid of?" His grip loosened. A tear rolled down Kairi's cheek.

"Are you afraid that we'll get a divorce or something? Well if that's how much trust you put into this marriage, than maybe we never should've gotten married." He said, not really realizing it. Kairi ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Sora kicked the wall and stormed into the TV room where he would sleep that night.

End of Flashback

"Daddy? Dad… hello…" Akira waved his hand in front of Sora's face. Sora snapped out of it and came back to reality.

"Sorry, guys… I'm too tired. I'll play later on…"

"But dad! Later on we have to go to our play!" Kosuke said.

"Promise you'll be there?" They both said at the same time. Sora nodded and gave a weak smile. "Definitely. Why would I miss out on that?" They ran upstairs happily. Sora sighed and got comfortable in the lazy chair. The phone rang.

"Hello?" Sora yawned after he said that. "Oh, hey Orett. No, Kairi's not here. I'll leave a message for you if you'd like…"

"Oh no," She said on the other line, "I'll just come over later…"

"Well, we'll be at the twin's play, so if you want you can come to that… is something wrong?"

"Kairi said she wanted to talk with me, that's all. Bye!" She hung up the phone. Sora already knew what it was about, and if it wasn't true, that was his guess…

- - -

Kairi headed straight to the play after a long day at work. She was excited to see her sons in their first play. She was going to record it and everything. She entered the elementary school gym where the play was being held. There were tons of people there. She spotted one of her newest friends, Astara. 

Astara looked a lot like Kairi, except she had different color eyes and her hair was a bit shorter. She had twins too, but they were a boy and girl. They were in the play too. They were good friends with Akira and Kosuke.

"Hey Kairi!" She greeted happily. Kairi said hello back and smiled.

"How are you?" Kairi asked.

"Great! I'm so excited!" She jumped up and down. Kairi smiled.

"Me too." She pulled out her camera, ready to record. The play would start any minute now.

"Hey, where's your husband?" Astara asked looking around the gym. Kairi wasn't thinking about Sora for once, but he should be here any minute…

"I don't know." Kairi shrugged.

The curtains opened and the play began. Akira was dressed as a lion. Kairi guessed that this was the Wizard of Oz, even though she hadn't seen it in a long time. She saw Kosuke waiting to go into the play on the sides. He was being the scarecrow.

Sly and Sadaki, Astara's twins, were there too. Sadaki played as Dorothy, the main character. Sly was the tin foil man. (**A/N**: I don't remember his name…) Sadaki fit the role perfectly and looked adorable in her costume, although she did look a little like Wendy from the restaurant. (**A/N**: I always thought that about Dorothy, I don't know why…)

"Aww, they're so cute!" Astara said quietly but excitedly. Kairi couldn't agree more. She was getting tired of holding the camera though. The first scene was over. It wasn't going to start for another fifteen minutes, so Kairi and Astara went to get something to eat.

"They have hot dogs, chips, cookies… man, so much fat…" Astara said, not able to make a choice. Kairi didn't care too much about fat, because no matter how much she ate, she was always skinny. Astara was that way too, but she was just a little more careful.

_Man… he should be here by now… where is he…_

Kairi couldn't believe that Sora wasn't here. Did he forget already?

- - -

Speaking of Sora, he had fallen asleep in the lazy chair. The phone rang again, waking him up. However, when he reached to pick it up, it stopped ringing. Sora stretched and looked at the time. 

"OH SHIT!"

- - -

The play was over, and the cast was taking their bow. Kairi and Astara cheered along with the rest of the crowd. The play wasn't boring, but it wasn't too exciting either. It was just how cute the little kids looked in their costumes that kept everyone watching. Was that mean?

"Mom, did you see me? I was the lion!" Akira said eagerly. Kosuke was still wearing his costume hat.

"You guys did great!" Kairi smiled. "And I got the whole thing on camera!" The twins groaned. Sly and Sadaki came over to them.

"That was wonderful!" Astara exclaimed, hugging her children. They didn't really like to be hugged, so they tried to pull away. They must've been embarrassed. Kairi and Astara laughed.

"Oh my gosh! I'm SO sorry!" Sora ran up behind them, completely exhausted. Kosuke and Akira walked away with Sly and Sadaki.

"And you were… where?" Kairi crossed her arms. She was angry now.

"I fell asleep…" He said between breaths, trying to make excuses. "Hey, where'd the twins go?" Kairi pointed over to the stage.

"Damn… they probably hate me now…" Sora walked over to them.

"You weren't here." Akira scowled, turning his head away. Kosuke did the same.

"I'm really sorry, you guys…"

"You promised!" They yelled, running backstage. Sora tried following them, but a few teachers stopped him and said that only the actors and teachers were allowed back there. Sora tried to explain that he was their father, but they still wouldn't let him through. He made a big mistake…

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**A/N**: Uh oh… not good… heh…


	6. Memories From Long Ago

**A/N**: Ah, good ol' memories…****

Chapter Six – Memories From Long Ago

_Kairi looked around from the isle. She didn't see her mother anywhere. She hated when this happened. Suddenly she fell to the ground. _

"_Oh man! I'm sorry, are you okay?" A hand came into view. Kairi was on the floor. She grabbed the hand without looking and stood up. "Thanks," she picked up her purse. She didn't like to make eye contact, but when she saw who it was… _

"_Um…" Kairi's eyes widened. Sora blinked. There was an awkward silence. Kairi was trembling. She couldn't stop staring at him. Sora raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" He asked. She quickly turned around and ran into the bra section without answering him. Surely he wouldn't dare to follow her…_

- - -

"Kairi? Yoo-hoo… Kairi…" Sora waved his hands in front of her face. Snapping out of it, Kairi looked at him. He smiled and rested his head back on the pillow still facing her. Kairi was lying on her back and staring absentmindedly up at the ceiling. Her hands were on her stomach. Sora took one and held it tightly in his warm hand.

"The twins were really disappointed today." Kairi said. Sora sighed.

"I know… I don't know how to make it up to them…"

Kairi hesitated before changing the subject; she had to cheer Sora up. She turned onto her side to face him and grinned. Sora was confused at first but smiled back.

"Remember when we first started talking to each other… how scared I was to do it?" She whispered, her eyes lowering. Sora tried to think back, but not much was coming to him at the moment.

"Yeah, I think so…"

"I was so afraid to just say hello, but you did it for me…I used to think I was too… strange or something to talk to someone like you…" Kairi laughed a little. Sora scooted closer and kissed her.

"I couldn't resist…"

- - -

_"What can I get for you?" It was a junior that Kairi saw every now and then. "Uh, two hotdogs, and…" She thought for a moment. "Some more strawberry pocky." Kairi got her munny out and paid. As she waited for her change, someone tapped her shoulder._

"_Great game, eh?" Kairi froze. Sora was talking to her? 'Okay… breathe, Kairi… breathe…' She turned around and smiled. "Oh yeah!" She laughed. He smiled, which made her want to faint. Kairi took her food and waved to him. He nodded and smiled, then turned to order his food._

'_Oh my goodness…' Kairi could barely breathe. Well, she could breathe just fine, she just was completely out of it. She gave herself a satisfied smile. "He actually talked to me…" After a few moments of daydreaming, she finally snapped out of it._

"_Why would he talk to me?" Kairi wondered. "I'm just weird..."_

- - -

"Wow, you said that? You're not weird, Kairi." Sora's grin made her feel better. It always did no matter how angry or sad she was. It sometimes even made her forget why she was feeling that way, just because she loved him so much…

"Tomorrow will be better, Sora. Don't worry. Kids aren't supposed to like you every second…" He nodded, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was still holding her hand in his too.

"I love you, Kairi…" He said quietly. "Don't ever think anything other than that."

- - -

_"I'm sorry!" He buried his face in his hands. Kairi paused, and then laughed._

_"Heh... that was cute!" She exclaimed._

_"Huh?" Sora was confused. Kairi did an imitation of what he just did. He started to laugh._

_"So you're not mad at me?"_

_"It'll go away, right?" Kairi shrugged._

_"I... guess..." Sora stared back at the ocean. She grabbed his hand and held onto it tightly. Sora looked at her for a while, and then grinned. His smile always made butterflies in her stomach. He made her feel so... safe..._

"_Kairi?" Sora said after a few minutes._

"_Yeah?"_

"_I know we've only been going out for a little over a month… and this might sound weird since i'm shirtless and we were just making out...but…" He paused, "I'm… in love with you." Kairi gasped. _

- - -

The next morning the twins seemed to be over what happened the day before. They didn't say anything about it. In fact, they were acting pretty normal.

"I don't believe you!" Akira yelled at Kosuke. "Why did you tell her that I liked her?"

"Because you _do_, and she was coming onto _me_! I don't like her that way!" Kosuke shot back. 

"Leave me alone!" They said at the same time, turning their backs to one another and crossing their arms. Kairi and Sora walked into the room.

"Now what?" Kairi asked.

"He told Nikki I liked her!" Akira pointed to his brother.

"But you _do_." Kairi raised an eyebrow. It was obvious. Akira's face went red and he stormed out of the room. Kosuke shrugged and looked through the fridge.

"Kosuke, when is Nikki's birthday party?" Sora asked, surprised he actually remembered.

"Next week." He said with food in his mouth. Kosuke sat at the table and ate an apple. Kairi and Sora decided to let that one go since he wasn't too happy at the moment. Kairi then remembered that the twin's birthday wasn't too long after Nikki's… probably about three weeks. She had no idea what they wanted. However, Sora had some kind of idea…

"I think we should all take that vacation I was talking about to Destiny Islands during the twin's birthday."

"Vacation?" Kosuke rose to his feet in an instant. Sora nodded happily. Kosuke ran upstairs to tell his brother, who was probably still pissed from earlier. However, if Kairi and Sora knew their children, they had a pretty good feeling that they both would be back downstairs really quickly jumping up and down in excitement. Sure enough, they were… and it was like nothing ever happened.

"We're going on vacation!" They repeated over and over as they pranced around the kitchen. Kairi laughed as Sora went to get the camera so he could sneak a few pictures of this. It was quite entertaining.

Kairi went to work later on that day. Her boss had been acting a little strange lately… like greeting her before she even walked into the door and such. He gave her a raise which made her pretty happy, but also made her wonder about the others that worked just as hard as she did. 

"Hello, Mr. Yamada…" Kairi said for the almost third time that day. She said hello to the other workers and walked into her recording studio. This was the fifteenth time doing one certain part in the show, and it was getting kind of annoying. However, she knew that it had to be perfect.

At lunchtime, Kairi got a cup of hot chocolate and sat in the lounge with the others. What she liked about this job was the fact that she was able to reunite with one of her best friends, Rinoa. They've known each other since preschool, but Rinoa had to leave around fourth grade because of her stepfather. They both promised they would always be friends no matter how far apart they were.

"Mr. Yamada scares me…" Rinoa whispered, making sure nobody was in earshot of the conversation. Kairi couldn't agree more.

"Just the other day, he winked at me…" Rinoa sank down in her seat. Kairi thought she had it bad; Rinoa got 'special attention' from him everyday. Didn't anybody else notice but them?

"He says hello to me like five times a day…" Kairi said quietly.

"It's nasty… he's like… 50 or something and he flirts with us. Doesn't he know that we're married and have children of our own?" Rinoa asked.

Kairi shook her head. "I guess he just doesn't care…"

"I was thinking about quitting if he didn't leave me alone." Rinoa said boldly. Kairi gasped.

"Quit? You can't! You can't leave me here all alone!"

"Have you told Sora about him?" Rinoa questioned. Kairi paused, and then shook her head sadly. "Him and I haven't talked as much lately. We've been arguing back and forth."

"Oh… why can't it just be like the good old days?" Rinoa sighed and sipped some coffee. Kairi was deep in thought again…

- - -

_"Hey Kairi, your boyfriend's not so bad when he's not being an asshole!" Koru exclaimed, winning for the third time in a row. Kairi decided to excuse that comment and sat next to Sora. They kissed. Sora handed the controller back to Koru and stood up to stretch. He then reached his hand out. Kairi took it and they went into the kitchen._

"_Are you hungry?" Kairi asked, looking in the fridge. The kitchen was empty; her mother and Markus were probably outside somewhere. Sora came behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his head on her shoulder._

"_I love you," he whispered into her ear. For the first time in hours, Kairi smiled._

"_I love you too." She said back, turning around to face him. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him._

"_Do you feel better?" Sora asked softly, running his fingers through her hair. Kairi nodded. "Yes… now that you're here…"_

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**A/N**: w00! Memories! I hope you liked this chapter… review!


	7. The Talk

**Chapter Seven – The Talk**

Sora came home from practice early that night, which really surprised the family. He took a shower, got dressed and went back into the kitchen where the twins were eating dinner. Kairi was reading a book in the other room.

"Kosuke, you _are _popular! Geeze!" Akira rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, with the nerds!" Kosuke dropped his fork on the floor. Sora noticed what they were talking about and sat down at the table.

"Dad, I'm a freak!" Kosuke whined. Sora raised an eyebrow.

"What are you kids worrying about popularity for? It's nothing special." Sora said casually. "Believe me, I know from experience."

"We're you a nerd when you were in school?" They asked. Sora shook his head.

"Actually, I was on the Blitzball team, so I guess I was considered well known. But I didn't care." The twins exchanged strange looks and then returned their attention back to their father. Kairi showed up at the door, but Sora didn't notice.

Sora thought for a moment about the words he was going to say. It was difficult to explain this to eight year-olds; in fact, he wondered why they bothered to know, especially this early in their education. Have the times changed?

"I made a speech at my high school graduation… and in that speech," he paused, "I said that it doesn't matter who you were in school, because after you're out of school, nobody will care if you were popular or not. Basically… you're just at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak, once again… once you step foot out of that school. However, you kids shouldn't be so afraid to stand out either."

"Labels are stupid." Kairi finally said, sitting next to Sora.

"But Akira gets all the attention… from girls and even teachers!" Kosuke explained.

"He gets attention from the teachers because he gets in trouble." Kairi pointed out, glancing over at Akira.

This ''family meeting'' was quite awkward for all of them; Kairi and Sora's families never did this when they were younger, but they enjoyed speaking to their children about it. Kairi guessed it was never too early to talk to them. (**A/N**: Damn drug commercials… XD) The twins didn't seem to mind; they were quite curious now… as usual.

"Mom, were you popular?" Akira asked. This question annoyed Kairi; she didn't like to think about who she used to be.

"I didn't care for it."

"What?" Sora looked at her. Kairi eyed him. "You didn't?" He asked. He must've forgotten their high school years already.

"I had my friends, so I was happy. I didn't care what the _others_ thought of me." She shrugged. "Sure, not many people knew who I was, but it didn't really affect me, especially in my senior year. You two are in elementary school. You shouldn't worry about this stuff right now."

"Yeah." Sora said. "There are a lot of things to deal with, and yes, High school _is _the most remembered, but who you were then will not get you a job or something."

"But… everyone picks on me and my friends…" Kosuke held his head down. Kairi and Sora were surprised.

"So _that's_ why some of the more popular kids call me names sometimes…" Akira said aloud, "because they think I'm you! I really am liked!"

"Akira!" Kairi scolded. He apologized.

"What is it about me that makes them hate me so much?" Kosuke seemed to have ignored Akira's comment. "I mean, I look just like Akira… only Akira keeps his hair in a ponytail most the time… but he has the same face, eyes, and everything else! I don't understand!"

"Kosuke," Kairi set her hand on the table. "They don't _hate_ you, okay?"

"You don't know what it's like!" Kosuke tried to run out of the room.

"Hey, get back here." Sora demanded. Kosuke stopped and gritted his teeth. He came back to the table and laid his head down.

"Now, Kosuke, what do they say to you?" Sora hoped for a decent answer. Kosuke didn't say anything; he was sobbing. Akira didn't look like he was paying attention; he had a new strange shaped straw in his hands and was fiddling with it. Kairi patted Kosuke's back.

Sora sat up and sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. He expected to talk to them about this when they entered high school, but they probably wouldn't listen then. Sora knew he didn't listen to his parents in high school, so he wouldn't be surprised if the twins were just as rebellious as he was. However, he didn't want them to be that way. No parent would…

"Yesterday this middle-school guy came up to my friend and threw him in a trashcan." Kosuke admitted, sniffling. Sora and Kairi exchanged anxious looks.

"Oh my goodness, is he okay?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah, after I came out from my hiding place and got him out."

"Where was I in all this?" Akira asked absentmindedly. Kosuke glared at him.

"You were with the _cool_ kids."

"Hey, we're no better than you… and certainly not worse either." Akira needed to learn when to keep his mouth shut.

"Okay, enough… Kosuke, let me put it this way. People give others what is called _stereotypes_, because that's what everyone else is doing." Sora said. "The stereotype of wearing nice clothes, tucking in your shirt, glasses, etc. is usually classified as a _nerd_, when really that's not who the person is at all. Maybe you do like dressing the way you do, and Akira has his own style that's stereotypical as well."

"Basically, most people are stupid." Kairi blurted out. There was a pause. "Don't repeat that."

"But it still hurts… why are they so mean?" Kosuke sighed. Not even Akira had anything to say to this one; he just remained quiet.

"It's a mystery… why people act the way they do…" Sora rubbed the back of his head.

"Actually…" Kairi interrupted, "Sora, remember when we had that argument a long time ago?" Sora stared at her blankly. "When I was really angry at you for some reason and you made the excuse that being popular has a lot of pressure?" Sora thought for a moment, then nodded. "And then I made that whole speech about how not being noticed has a lot more pressure?"

"What does that have to do with this?" He asked. She ignored him and turned to the twins.

"Popularity isn't everything. You must be happy with who you are before you can let anybody else like you. I won't deny it, it's not easy to stand out in a crowd of a million imposters that will probably never find the true happiness in themselves… and you have to rise above that. That might sound a little corny, but it's true. Do you understand?"

Kosuke and Akira raised an eyebrow, obviously stating that they had no idea what she just said. Kairi sighed and smacked her forehead.

"In other words, be who you are no matter what anyone says." Sora summarized. The twins looked at each other.

"Oh! Right!" They said in unison. Kairi and Sora laughed.

"So is there anything else you want to talk about?" Kairi asked. They shook their heads.

"I'm going to go play a video game." Akira hopped out of his chair. Kosuke followed, leaving Kairi and Sora alone in the kitchen.

"Wow, that was weird." Kairi giggled.

"Yeah… but nice." Sora agreed.

"You know when it comes time for them to go to high school we probably won't be able to talk to them anymore, right?" Sora nodded.

"Yeah… but that doesn't mean we shouldn't at least try."

"I couldn't agree more." She smiled.

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**A/N**: What a random, talkative chapter… and a great name too… heh, I had to end it because my little brother is trying to find out if his friend is gay and I must pick up the phone and listen. :D By the way, I have a picture of the twins on my myspace... I think the link is on my profile page...'Til next time!


	8. Nikki's Party

**Chapter Eight—Nikki's Party**

Kairi had to keep watch of the twins at Nikki's birthday party a week later. Nikki was one of the extremely spoiled rich-type kids. She had balloons, three clowns, a magic show and everything at her birthday party. It kind of made Kairi feel bad for the twins since the most she could do for them is get them a few presents and blow out candles.

"Doesn't your husband make a lot of money?" Asked Mrs. Gina, Nikki's mother. She always had money on her mind…

"Yeah, but we don't like spending it as much." Kairi answered. A couple kids ran past her screaming. Following them was one of the clowns. It was quite amusing to Kairi to watch the clown try to run in those big shoes. Akira and Kosuke were laughing over near the dessert table. Nikki was with some of the girls next to the wooden fence talking about them, Kairi guessed.

This was Kairi's first time actually seeing Nikki. She was a cute little girl; she had her long, brown hair in pigtails with cute little pink bows, a blue dress that looked pretty old-fashioned, and a sweet smile. She seemed really sweet.

"Would you quit drooling over her? It's really annoying!" Kosuke yelled. Akira wasn't listening. He stared dreamily at Nikki, not really noticing anyone or anything around him. 

"That's so adorable." Kairi giggled.

"Ew, who's that… _boy_ checking out my daughter?" Mrs. Gina was obviously talking about Akira. "He's so… hideous!"

Kairi glared at her. "That's _my son_, thank you."

Mrs. Gina started laughing. "Well, he definitely needs a few fashion tips." She came closer and whispered, "Try buying him some new outfits… I mean, that jacket does not suit him at all. What's with the flames? It's sickening! And the other one only makes things worse."

Kairi was really pissed now. How dare she even have the _nerve_ to talk about her child like that? Akira was very different in the way he dressed… and so was Kosuke. Kairi felt like beating her to the ground for saying such things. However, she held it in and tried to ignore the blasted woman.

"Hey Kairi, there you are." Sora came up to her and kissed her. Not really in the mood, Kairi kissed back but then continued to glare at Mrs. Gina, who was now talking with Nikki about something. 

"Something wrong?" Sora asked, putting his arm around her and shaking her a little bit.

"Mrs. Gina was talking bad about our sons, that's what." She said in an irritated voice, not taking her fiery eyes off of the lady. This made Sora angry, just as expected.

"And you're going to take that shit from her?" He said quietly. Kairi shook her head. She didn't want to start any trouble.

"Oh my goodness, Kairi… come over here. Let's talk." Sora and Kairi went over to an empty picnic table near the fence. She sat down next to him.

"You can't let people push you around…" He started. Kairi had a feeling they would have a talk like this sooner or later. Sora got really angry when Kairi would just take it. They both had very different ways of handling things, and Kairi's was trying to ignore it and hoping it would go away. Sora would usually confront the person and put them in their place.

"But Sora… fighting never got anybody anywhere…"

"Some of the best countries were made from fighting." He said. "Not saying it's right, but that's how it is."

She understood the point he was trying to make. He wanted her to stand up for what she believed in and face the people that hurt her so much. It was quite ironic, because she still hadn't told him about how she wanted him to be there more often…

"Sora, I'm not like you. I can't just start a fight with someone…"

"You've done it before." He reasoned, obviously referring to the Tifa incident years ago.

"I know, and I felt terrible afterwards. That's why I can't do it." 

Sora sighed and thought for a moment. "Look," he paused, locking his hands together and looking straight into her eyes, "she was making fun of Akira and Kosuke, correct?" She nodded. "Doesn't that make you the least bit… angry?"

"I makes me furious…" Kairi admitted.

"So let her know that. Tell her that she shouldn't be saying that… because she has no right whatsoever to do so."

"She's just stupid…" Kairi looked away.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it kind of makes you look stupid when you just sit and let her walk all over you." Sora rubbed the back of his head. Kairi gave him an astonished look.

Maybe he was right. His honesty didn't make her angry, in fact, it gave her a little bit more confidence, surprisingly. It made her think… was she really so afraid to confront people all her life that she just tried to pretend it wasn't there? The truth was, prejudice was real. Hate… lies, and everything in between were real. Expectations for everyone to meet a single person's standards varied, but were real. The truth was, you couldn't just let it go. There was a lot more to it than that, and Sora realized that early on.

"You're right… she can't talk about them like that. I need to go speak with her right now!" Sora grinned and hugged her.

"After… I get some cake." 

Kairi went over to the dessert table. Akira was trying to talk to Nikki, while Kosuke was just rolling his eyes in the corner. Nikki actually seemed to like him. She was giggling and blushing at the same time as Akira tried to find the right words to say. Kairi saw Sora watching her from the picnic table and looked away. Mrs. Gina was heading over towards Nikki and Akira. Kairi decided to do the same.

"Nikki! Get away from that filthy boy!" Mrs. Gina snapped, grabbing her arm. Nikki gasped but wasn't able to say anything. Kairi was really pissed now.

"Gina…" Kairi wanted to say this without yelling, but for some reason she couldn't control herself anymore. She had gone too far…

Mrs. Gina gave her a disgusted look. "What do you want?"

Kairi put her hands on Akira's shoulders to try and stop from the very little shaking she was doing. Kosuke came over to them.

"First of all, my sons are not _filthy, sickening_, or whatever else you want to call them…" Her voice was rising. "I don't believe that you should be allowed to say anything about what they wear or where they come from. YOU HAVE NO LIFE WHATSOEVER!" She screamed. Everyone had their attention on them now. Sora crossed his arms and smiled.

Mrs. Gina looked around at the others, trying to think of something to say in defense. "Well, look at them! They're dirty, they have no manners… and… they are not worthy for my daughter!"

"Mom…" Nikki pleaded but was hushed.

"I don't want to be worthy of your daughter." Kosuke said, but was hushed as well. Sora appeared next to them.

"Gina, you are wrong in every single way. How dare you judge my boys like that! It's stupid and completely childish! Seriously, you would think an adult like you would've grown up by now, but you're just like the stereotypical teenager in high school. I bet your daughter has more sense than you do!" Kairi took a breath.

"And not only that, yes, there's more, you've really made me upset today. It just shows me that some people will just never learn. Some people will never become responsible, mature adults that this society actually expects out of them. If you have ten people, there will always be two or three who are still in that state of mind where they think they must impress others by doing the wrong thing to win affection, and that's exactly what you're doing. Honestly, it's just a pitiful way to get by. One mistake and they will hate you forever. They probably never even liked you in the first place."

That was the first actual speech Kairi had given in a long time. She felt like she had gotten everything out that she needed to, and the look on Mrs. Gina's face was furious. However, as expected, she had nothing to say to that. She took Nikki and declared the party over.

Sora patted Kairi on the back. "Good job. You stood up for yourself and won confidence at the same time. I'm really proud of you." He kissed her.

"I really do feel better…" Kairi admitted, smiling. That wouldn't last too long though.

"Mom! You ruined the party!" Akira whined. 

"No she didn't." Sora said to him. "This party was ruined before it even started. You'll see Nikki again."

"OH NO HE WON'T!" Mrs. Gina called from the back door. "I don't want him near my daughter! GET OUT OF HERE!"

"I'll be glad to leave…" Kairi mumbled to herself.

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**A/N**: Sorry for the long wait on the update… I'm trying! If I don't update tomorrow I'll update sometime this weekend because my birthday is Thursday! W00!


	9. The Wonderland Hippies

**Chapter Nine—The Wonderland Hippies**

Sora got on the train with his other teammates. They had a game in Wonderland, which was going to be very interesting. He sat next to the window and the train took off.

His friend from the team, Soubi, was listening to a CD player in the seat across from him. Soubi was a couple years younger than Sora was and was still in college. He usually flirted with the Blitzball cheerleaders that traveled with the team everywhere they went. The Hornets were a pretty small team compared to what Sora had in high school.

"Hey Sora…" A girl named Brittini sat down next to him. She was one of the cheerleaders. She had long, black hair and wore tons of makeup.

"Hello." Sora leaned back in his seat.

"Are you ready for the game?" She smirked.

"I think so. The Wonderland Hippies are… kind of scary…"

She laughed. Brittini talked to Sora whenever she had the chance. Sora kind of suspected that she liked him, and he didn't want to deal with that. A lot of girls lusted after him, which personally he couldn't stand.

"So how's your family doing?" Brittini asked innocently.

"They're great. My sons' birthdays are in two weeks." He hoped to make her disappointed by saying he had children. However, she didn't seem to mind.

"Aww! You have kids? How old?" Like she didn't know already…

"They will be nine. They're twins."

"How adorable!" She squealed. Sora took out his wallet and showed her some pictures of him and the family. He made sure to show her as many pictures of him and Kairi too, just so she'd get the idea that he wasn't interested in her at all.

"You know, I was pregnant once… but I had a miscarriage…" She sighed. "Oh well…"

_I believe it…_ Sora thought.

"So um… you married?" Brittini asked stupidly. Sora wanted to strangle her!

"Yes, very happily married." He smiled. She was quiet at first, but for some reason just wouldn't give up on him.

"Must be nice to not have sex anymore. I would _die_." She giggled.

_"What a whore!"_ Sora thought to himself.

- - -

Kairi and Namine hung out that day while the kids were at school. It had been a while since they'd seen each other, so they were glad for the opportunity. Not only that, Orett came along too. They went to a restaurant.

"I just don't understand Roxas anymore." Namine sighed sadly.

"What's going on?" Kairi asked, placing her hand on Namine's.

"We just… don't agree on anything…"

"I love being single." Orett said randomly.

"Yeah…" Namine paused, "sometimes I just want to rip his guts out!" She was acting bipolar. Kairi's eyes widened.

"Wow, you don't want to go that far… I get mad at Sora all the time without him even knowing it… I guess I know how you feel…" She sunk down in her seat.

"It's just… I feel like him and I don't connect as much as we used to." Namine was starting to cry. "I'm afraid of getting a divorce…"

"Whoa! Calm down!" Kairi jumped up. "Divorce? You two have to work this out!" She should take her own advice.

"I heard from Riku the other day." She changed the subject abruptly.

"Riku? Really?" Kairi asked, interested.

"Yeah. He works in a bar on Destiny Islands."

Kairi hadn't seen or heard from Riku since they left college. Does time really pass that quickly?

She was also considering going to Destiny Islands for the twin's birthday just like Sora suggested. It would be nice to see her family again and the place she grew up. She hadn't been there in years…

- - -

_"And the Twilight Town Hornets win once again!"_

The crowd went wild. Sora and the rest of the players shook hands with the opposing team and rounded up to stretch.

"That was easy!" Soubi shouted out. Sora tried to hush him a little so the other team that was passing by didn't feel bad. (**A/N**: it's happened to me) Soubi had a lot of pride.

As they were walking back to the train, Sora nearly fell over. A few of the cheerleaders from the other team appeared in front of him jumping up and down and begging for autographs.

"There you go." Sora smiled as he gave the last paper back to the girl. She hugged him without his consent, but he decided to be nice and hug her back. 

"Come on, Sora!" Called the coach. Sora picked up his bag and got back on the train with the others.

"You're such a pimp!" Said one of his teammates. Sora shook his head in refusal, but they continued to tease him about all the girls that flirted with him.

"Oh come on, they only like us because we have money." He turned to the cheerleaders sitting in the back. "No offense."

"What are you talking about, Sora? I like you because you're very sweet… and hott too…" Brittini ruffled his hair playfully. Sora scooted over a little more towards the window. He couldn't wait to get home…

"So Sora, when we get back to the hotel, why don't you and I go down to the pool, eh?" She asked. She just didn't get it.

"Look, Brittini… I think you're a really nice person, but I just don't like you in the way you think I do, okay? I'm married." Sora said as calmly as he could. She merely giggled and grabbed hold of his arm. Sora pulled away.

"You know you want me." She teased, leaning her head on his shoulder. Sora was ticked now.

"Please get off of me…" He tried to keep his cool, but she just wouldn't listen…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: She's such a whore! Grr! Might I also note that KH2 was SUPPOSED to be out today… but no, they had to destroy my hopes of getting the precious game for my birthday… oh well… it comes out during spring break now, so I guess that's all I'll be doing during that time!


	10. Birthday Shopping

**A/N**: What chapter am I on again? Oh! That's right!

**Chapter Ten – Birthday Shopping**

It was late on Saturday night when Sora finally walked through the door. The kids were spending the night over at Namine's house, and Kairi was watching TV in the bedroom. Sora came in and set his bags down. Kairi smiled at him.

"Hey babe." He leaned over and kissed her.

"Hello." She told him to get in the bed with her. He did so and let out a big sigh. Kairi cuddled with him.

"I missed you." Sora said softly, stroking her hair.

"I missed you too." Her eyes were closed. She lay on her side and pressed her body against his. Kairi had a little something on her mind…

She tugged on his shirt playfully and giggled. Sora gave her a guilty smile. He understood what she wanted to do, and to tell the truth, he wanted to do it too. They hadn't been intimate in a long time. However, it was a pretty long day for Sora…

"Just relax…" Sora took off his shirt as Kairi began to gently massage his shoulders and back. It was very comforting to Sora since he did have a stressful time on the trip to and from Wonderland. (**A/N**: They're married, they're allowed to!) As she rubbed, she started kissing the back on his neck softly. Sora leaned against her and closed his eyes.

"I love you so much…" he whispered. She tickled his stomach with her fingers. He started to laugh and squirm in her arms, but she wouldn't let him go that easily. He decided it was time for him to take control of the situation. He turned around and started making out with her. Kairi leaned back and let him get on top of her and completely dispose all of her clothes…

- - -

(**A/N**: IT'S RATED T, LEAVE ME ALONE! XD)

The twins came home around noon the next day. Kairi was still sleepy. Last night was great. Sora was already awake. Kairi lay nude under her covers when the twins ran into the room.

"AHH!" Kairi covered herself as much as she could.

"Mom! Guess what!" They chanted.

"What?" She pushed the hair out of her face.

"Daddy says we're going on vacation starting tomorrow!"

"What?" Kairi's eyes widened. How could he plan this without her? She made them get out of the room and got dressed. Sora was in the kitchen when she entered, whistling some random song.

"Oh, hey baby." He kissed her. He seemed to be in a good mood… which was understandable. Kairi giggled to herself but then went back to a serious state.

"We're going on vacation tomorrow?" She crossed her arms. Sora looked at her.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I already talked with your boss. He said it's okay." He grinned.

Kairi decided that there was no point in being mad at him. It was just the fact that it was so sudden. Her boss was the person she was worried about anyway…

"Since the twin's birthday is on Tuesday, I decided we could stay until Wednesday. Is that okay?" Sora questioned. He was right! The twin's birthday was soon…

"That's fine!" Kairi hugged him. However, she had more important things to do… like packing!

That afternoon, Kairi, Namine and Orett all went out shopping. Kairi didn't have a bathing suit that fit, and she knew those two could help her with that. Namine and Orett picked out everything in sight, and to tell the truth, Kairi wasn't comfortable with wearing a bikini. She finally bought a nice, purple two-piece, but the top was like a tank top. Namine and Orett shrieked at how adorable she looked in it.

Next they searched for birthday presents. Kairi had no idea what the twins wanted, but she knew they were in love with video games.

"KH5?" Kairi picked up a video game. "Rated T for teen… hmm…"

"Oh, let them have it." Orett said. "It looks like a nice game." She smiled. Kairi shrugged and bought it. She also got them a mini-game Blitzball set. They would love that. Kairi decided she would do more shopping with Sora.

Kairi knew she would never be able to actually spoil her kids with a huge birthday party with ten clowns or whatever. (They would probably chase and kill every last one of them anyway…) She hoped this trip back home was going to be worth it…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Kinda short… but I have to get ready for a birthday party! W00! Ja ne!


	11. Vacation Time, Part One

**Chapter 11 – Vacation Time, Part One**

"VACATION!" Akira and Kosuke screamed in the other room, making Kairi wake up in frustration. She didn't understand why they had to leave at five o'clock in the morning, and it was really bugging her. Sora laughed a little as Kairi hid her face under the pillow.

"Oh come on…" He tickled her sides, making her jump up. Kairi decided to give in and get out of bed. The twins were prancing around the house happily. 

"Put your stuff in the car." Sora called out to them. Kairi let out a big sigh.

It was going to be a long day. Twilight Town's train took about six hours just to get to Destiny Islands. (And that's a hell of a long time) Kairi and Sora hadn't been there since they moved. She was sure her family would be happy to see them, especially the twins for the first time…

It was pretty sad that Kairi's mother hadn't ever met her grandchildren, but they just never got around to it. Kairi was going to really surprise her…

Sora lifted the last suitcase into the trunk and closed it. Akira and Kosuke jumped into the back seat eagerly. Kairi always brought her pillow on long trips, and she was going to use it on the train. The only reason they were using the car was because of all the luggage. The station was about a ten minute walk away.

- - -

As they loaded the train, their luggage was safely put elsewhere. Akira and Kosuke whined and complained when they thought some random guy was stealing it, but Kairi and Sora were able to explain it to them.

"Now," Sora said, "you two are going to have _good_ manners on here, you understand?" 

"Yes sir!" They saluted. Already they were being too loud and drawing attention to themselves. Akira and Kosuke sat in the seat in front of them.

Kairi looked out the window. It was like they were traveling through space, which was probably another reason this trip was so expensive. Sora leaned his head on her shoulder. 

"This is going to be fun." He said.

"I can't believe they're missing school, though." Kairi mentioned.

"Oh come on, how many days have they missed so far?"

"Okay, it's fine. They can miss three days."

"You see, that's why I was thinking… we should stay for the whole week!" Sora blurted out happily. Akira and Kosuke heard this and turned around in their seats excitedly.

"What?" Kairi's eyes widened. Would her boss really let her do that?

"Come on, Kairi! It'll be so much fun!" Sora pleaded.

"Yeah, mom! Please! Can we?" The twins begged. Kairi was outnumbered. She shrugged and agreed to it.

Kairi could've sworn she fell asleep, because the next thing she knew, everyone was shaking her saying that they have arrived. Still a little out of it, she didn't really believe them at first, but when she looked out the window and saw palm trees everywhere, she couldn't have been dreaming. She shook her head back and forth and followed Sora and the twins off the train. They claimed their suitcases and left the station.

From what she could tell, North Destiny Island hadn't changed much at all. There was still the old dock that her and her friends used to hang out by, the lush green palm trees with the coconuts that fell on people's heads, and the warm sand that could burn your feet if you weren't wearing shoes.

A Volleyball net was set up and kids were playing. Sora knew he needed to hide before he was discovered as the famous Sora Kiyamoto, star Blitzball player. He put on his sunglasses and a red hat to attempt at covering his identity. Kairi giggled at the appearance of Sora wearing a hat.

"I think it's sexy on me." Sora joked, making a weird pose. Kairi raised an eyebrow and grabbed his arm.

"Mom! Kosuke and I want to go surfing!" Akira whined.

"We have to get to our hotel and meet your grandmother first. Then you can go out and play." Kairi said firmly. The twins groaned. Their hotel was up ahead.

It was a pretty fancy hotel… if you considered kool-aid coming out of water fountains _fancy_. Kairi had only been around this side of town once, and that was for a soccer game. Inside was huge. Sora checked in and they made their way over to the elevator. There was so much space in the main lobby.

Akira and Kosuke begged to push all the buttons in the elevator, but Sora and Kairi told them not to. However, knowing them, they knew the twins would play around on the elevator sooner or later. The family was staying on the fifth floor.

"Room 236… here we are." Sora took out the key and opened the door. They set their bags down right when they walked in. The twins rushed for the bed and started jumping on it, getting sand all over the covers.

"Hey!" Sora shooed them away. The room had two king sized beds next to each other, one TV, and looked pretty normal. The view of the ocean through the window was magnificent, however.

Kairi and Sora decided to let the kids play at the beach for a little bit before heading over to her mother's house. They raced down to the beach with their surfboards that they had really no idea how to use. Kairi set up two chairs for her and Sora. She was in her new bathing suit, but was hiding it under a towel. Sora had already disposed of his shirt and was ready to dive into the ocean.

"Come on, babe… take off the towel!" He teased, making Kairi's face go red. She hadn't worn a bathing suit in the longest time, especially not in front of him. She finally got rid of the towel.

"You're gorgeous." Sora complimented, holding his hand out. She took it and followed him over to the water. Of course it was cold, which was another reason why she had never been too fond of actually going in the ocean. She was also afraid of big waves. Yes, Kairi was a coward.

"Oh, it'll be fine…" Sora pulled her into the water. Kairi started to shiver, but he held her close trying to make her feel a little better. Akira and Kosuke were trying again and again to mount their surfboards and actually stand. Kairi thought it was adorable, but was still worried about their safety like a normal mother would.

"Mom! Watch me!" Akira yelled.

"No! Watch me!" Kosuke yelled louder.

"We'll watch both of you!" Sora called out. They laughed when their sons fell into the water once again. Akira popped his head out of the water… but where was Kosuke?

"I'm going to try again! Watch!" Akira got back on the surfboard. However, Kairi wasn't paying attention. She didn't spot Kosuke anywhere. Sora noticed after about thirty seconds that Kosuke never came up out of the water and began to swim over to where he saw him last. Kairi was panicking.

The lifeguard immediately rushed down once he realized there was trouble. He went over to Kairi and asked what was going on.

"My child is drowning somewhere! Please, help him!" Kairi shrieked. Akira had stopped trying to get himself on his surfboard now and was looking for his brother. The lifeguard dived into the water, pushing Sora out of the way.

"Oh my gosh…" Sora pulled Akira out of the water. Kairi stood next to them, hoping that Kosuke would be all right. The lifeguard came to the surface, holding Kosuke in his arms. He rushed over to the shore and lay the boy out in the sand. Sora, Kairi and Akira ran over to him.

"My baby!" Kairi freaked, putting her hands over her mouth. The lifeguard pressed against Kosuke's chest and tried pumping the water out of him. After many tries, Kosuke coughed and his eyes opened.

"OH THANK GOODNESS!" Kairi wrapped her arms tightly around Kosuke. He coughed a little more and started to wonder where he was.

"What… happened?" He asked weakly, still out of it.

"You almost died." Akira said bluntly. 

"He did not." Sora corrected him.

"This nice lifeguard right here just saved your life!" Kairi smiled. The lifeguard removed his sunglasses and grinned at the boy. Kairi noticed something familiar about him…

"Thank you so much." Sora said to him, also noticing something weird.

"No problem. You can call me Riku."

Sora and Kairi gasped.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Riku? Uh ooh! Why didn't he remember them at first? How strange… well, I'm off!


	12. Vacation Time, Part Two

**Chapter Twelve – Vacation, Part 2**

There was an awkward silence going on between Kairi, Sora and the person that claimed to be Riku. Akira and Kosuke were confused, nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, your name was what?" Kairi must've dozed off.

"Riku." He repeated.

It didn't really look like Riku. Truthfully if he had a shirt on, Kairi would've thought he was a girl from a distance. (**A/N**: Don't kill me!) His long, silver hair was down to his waist. He still had all the muscles that Kairi remembered, but he just didn't look the same at all…

"OHMYGOSH!" Kairi glomped him. Riku was pushed onto his back as her weight covered him, but only for a moment. Kairi couldn't believe it. 

"Kairi?" He asked finally. She nodded joyfully.

"WHOA!" He hugged her. Riku looked over at Sora. His eyes widened.

After the whole reunion thing, Riku had to get back to his job. It was short lived, but they would be there all week. It was going on five o'clock. Kairi wanted to get to her mother's house before dinnertime, which was usually at six o'clock sharp.

The path to her house hadn't changed much. She could remember walking this way every single day after school. Kairi's old house was just up the road…

"I can't believe we're _walking_." Akira complained, slouching over.

"You kids need some exercise… and less video games." Sora said.

"You sound like my mother, Sora." Kairi admitted.

The house was right in front of them. It hadn't changed much at all. There was still a fence surrounding the home. However, it seemed duller than it used to be, probably because all the children had moved out. Kairi couldn't stop staring in awe at her childhood home, and Sora had to shake her to bring her back to reality.

"It's been so long…" 

They all walked up to the door. Kairi couldn't believe she hadn't seen her mother since after Sora and her were married. Akira and Kosuke stopped Kairi before she was able to ring the doorbell.

"Wait!" They said in unison, grabbing both of her hands.

"She isn't going to pinch our cheeks, is she?" Kosuke asked. He looked fearful.

"And she isn't going to hug us to death… right?" Akira whined.

"I can't guarantee that. Now let go." She smiled and broke free of their grip and rung the doorbell. The twins stood on either side of Sora and waited for someone to open the door.

It was about a minute before the door flung open and Kairi's mother was squeezing her tightly.

"OH KAIRI!" She shouted. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.

"H-hi… mom…" Kairi patted her back. Her mother pulled away and looked at the rest of the family. Akira and Kosuke took a step back, but Sora stopped them from going any further.

"And these must be my grandchildren!" She hugged them both at the same time. Akira and Kosuke tried to be nice and hugged her back.

"Oh my… come in! Markus! Come here!" 

Kairi had nearly forgotten all about her stepfather, Markus. Her mother and him got married the summer after graduation. By then Kairi was leaving the house for college, so she didn't see him much. They all walked into the house. It had the normal "grandparent" smell, or so thought the twins. There were more pictures on the wall than before, including Kairi and Sora's senior portraits in the hallway.

The kitchen was exceptionally clean; no better than Kairi's. Her mother moved them all through the house, explaining in detail what happened to what room and when. Kairi's room became a guest room, as well as Koru's. Taka's room was used for storage of old things that wouldn't fit in the garage. That only made Kairi wonder how full the garage was…

Akira seemed to be bored already as he followed everyone around the tour of the house, but Kosuke was a little more entertained by all the blackmail pictures of his mother lying around. Usually Akira would be the one to plot evil schemes against his parents, but he was rubbing off on Kosuke, and that wasn't good.

Kairi opened the door to the room she used to come home to every day. The sheets weren't purple anymore like they used to be; but a dark green color. There were two red pillows piled together. The bed seemed bigger. Her mirror was on the other side of the room now, near the closet. Inside the closet was completely empty. She could remember packing all her things after getting married and moving over to Twilight Town… almost like it was yesterday…

"Mom, I'm bored." Akira whispered. Kairi shushed him. They looked through Koru and Taka's old bedrooms. Kairi was amazed at how many boxes were in Taka's room. There were mostly books inside of these boxes along with some toys in the far corner.

As Kairi and Sora went downstairs to chat more with the parents, Akira followed Kosuke around the house. One thing they both loved to do was snoop around and look for something interesting, especially Kosuke. Kosuke was interested in historic things, and he figured that maybe his grandparents would have something of some importance…

Akira, on the other hand, was only looking around for shiny objects. Lately he had been obsessed with these things and would automatically seize any shiny object in sight. Unfortunately for both of them, they weren't finding anything too exciting.

Kosuke and Akira walked into Taka's old room and rummaged around the boxes. There were many novels and national Geographic's that would just put them to sleep immediately. Kosuke sighed and sat on a box.

"There's nothing here. I knew it'd be boring…"

"Hey, what's this?" Akira picked up a journal and opened it. "Whoa! It's mom's diary! Her writing was terrible…"

"Let me see!" Kosuke rushed over to him.

Akira read from it. _"Tonight was prom night. It wasn't as great as I expected it to be. Tifa ruined my dress and made fun of me while Sora was in the bathroom! What a—_" Akira skipped over the cursing. _"So when Sora came back, he saw that I was crying and immediately escorted me out along with Selphie and Namine. He took them all home but me. Instead, he drove us over to the ocean. We got in a boat and rowed out into the water._" Akira rolled his eyes. _"Do I even have to tell you what went on then? –giggle- Nothing too bad… just… oh crap, gotta go… Koru's coming."_

"That was weird." Kosuke said. Akira flipped through to another page.

_"SORA IS SUCH A—"_ Once again, cursing. The twins were interested now. _"He was the guy who teased my little brother at the skate park, along with his no good low life friends, Wakka and Leon! I can't believe it! They gave Koru a cigarette, and then laughed in his face when he actually tried it! Argh! HE MAKES ME SO ANGRY!"_

There was no more written on that page, leaving the twins aching to know what happened after that. The next page was just about her and Sora getting back together and all that romantic stuff that they were grossed out by.

"Akira! Kosuke!" They heard their mother's voice and immediately hid the journal. 

"We're coming!" They called back. Right before they left though, Akira grabbed the journal and hid it in his pocket.

- - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Yes, Akira has big pockets. I finally updated! The next chapter will be… DUN DUN DUN… the twin's birthday! W00!


	13. Happy Birthday!

**Chapter 13 – Happy Birthday!**

Akira and Kosuke's birthday was finally here, and their parents knew it was going to be a long, stressful day. They were turning nine today, and having the pride they did, they didn't care who knew and how they were told; if it meant yelling it down the hallway to let everyone know about their big day, then so be it. Akira especially will be hyper.

"It's our birthday!" They sang over and over, waking up Kairi. Sora was up and almost as lively as the twins were. Kairi knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. It was nine o'clock in the morning. Kairi shot a disturbed look over at Sora, who merely shrugged. 

"I tried to quiet them down… you know that's pointless." His eyes shifted over to Akira and Kosuke who were now reaching for the hotel key, meaning they wanted to leave. Good thing Sora was able to grab it before they could, or they would've raced out the door.

It was always a mystery about what would happen with these two, since they were the most hyper kids Kairi has ever seen in her life. Her little brother, Koru wasn't even this hyper and he was usually very active. Kairi rolled out of bed, went to the bathroom, took a shower and got dressed.

_"Here we go…"_ She mumbled to herself. It's not that she wasn't excited that it was their birthday; she was very happy. Kairi just didn't like waking up early. She had a sudden urge for some orange juice, however…

Sora and Kairi walked hand in hand down the hallway, at least attempting to shush their children and let them know that other people were actually around this time and they had to be quiet until they got outside. Surprisingly they were obedient, but of course, it was temporary. Akira and Kosuke were probably going to be at the beach all day. Kairi wasn't really too fond of that, but it was their birthday, their choice.

The family arrived under the hot sun in minutes, and the twins hit the waves. Kosuke, remembering what happened the day before, stayed in the more shallow waters while Akira tackled the waves like some big adventure. Kairi and Sora kept a close eye on these two, hoping that nothing bad happened again. She sat down next to Sora on a towel.

"I got the boys some water guns since they were deprived of water in Twilight Town. I couldn't think of anything else." Sora said.

"Not as bad as my gifts… I bought them a Blitzball set and a video game."

"I think this trip covers it though." Sora put his sunglasses on as he saw some people approaching them. To his relief, it was only Riku followed by… not one, not two, but six other girls drooling over his presence.

"Hi Riku." Kairi greeted him. The girls glared at her but then went all dreamy again at the sound of Riku's voice.

"Hey."

"Seems like you're busy every day." Sora joked.

"This is my life." Riku shooed the girls away respectively and laid a towel out on the sand.

"Are you working today?" Kairi asked.

"Nope. I never work on Tuesday." He said proudly.

"So what have you been doing lately?" Sora questioned, taking his sunglasses off. He felt safe enough to do so. He knew that if people knew who he was, there would be twice as many girls swooning over him than Riku.

"Well…" Riku hid his hand behind his back, but not quick enough for Kairi to notice a ring on his finger. She gasped.

"You're married?" 

Riku gave her a blank stare, but then his face went red and he nodded. (**A/N**: Sorry Riku fans! XD) Kairi gave him a sweet, appreciative smile that said, "aww, that's too cute!"

"So who's the lucky woman?" Sora teased, putting his arm around Kairi.

"You would only believe me if I… _introduced_ you to her, so I'm not going to tell you yet." Riku said firmly.

Before Kairi was about to respond to that, Akira and Kosuke walked over to them as if they were passed out already. Akira fell right into the sand only to get back up again because the sand was too hot, and Kosuke laughed at his stupidity. They were covered in sand.

"Hey, what's on those other islands?" Kosuke asked, pointing out into the distance.

"Not much." Sora said. "Pretty much the same that's here."

"Actually, there's a carnival going on here tonight. You guys should come." Riku suggested. "All ages are admitted. Believe me, I'm the DJ." 

"Wow, they have those now?" Kairi never remembered anything like that on the island. Usually it was just plain boring.

"Can we go?" The twins begged in unison, and in less than a second Sora said yes.

"It'll be fun." He noted.

"It should be." Kairi said.

- - -

The streets illuminated with every color possible to make this quite a strange setting for a carnival, but Kairi realized that this wasn't just any type of carnival. There was music, dancing, clowns, magic shows, karaoke, and even roller coaster rides. Okay, so maybe it was a little normal, but other than that, she knew it would be fun. Akira and Kosuke were nearly rushing to the place and Kairi and Sora had to run just to keep up with them.

"Let's go on that ride! How about that one?" They pointed to every single ride imaginable, from the Avalanche to the one-hundred foot roller coaster that Kairi wondered how it ever even got there. Riku greeted them over at the "party area" where he played music for anyone willing to dance. 

"How could all of this fit here?" Kairi didn't believe it herself, that the island she grew up on could actually have something like this. But then again, it has been a long time since she's been here…

There was a normal looking tent with red and white stripes on it, but inside was tons of food—for free. The twins headed over to the desserts drooling over all the cake and ice-cream they could eat. Kairi guessed it would make up for a traditional birthday cake—for now. However, Sora wanted to do a little more. He went over and whispered something in some of the employee's ears.

Akira and Kosuke took their seats and dug in. All of a sudden, they heard clapping getting closer and closer. The people of the town knew what that meant and the happy birthday theme filled the tent. The twins stopped chewing and turned their heads slowly over to their parents who were really enjoying this. Sora gave his trademark smile as Kairi took pictures of their priceless faces. Akira and Kosuke shrugged and took pride in the attention they received.

"Happy birthday." Kairi and Sora said. Everyone cheered. Riku came into the tent with headphones around his neck.

The twins were more than happy to open presents and seemed excited nevertheless. They loved their presents, which came as a shock to Kairi since she didn't know what to buy them. Riku gave them some money.

"Thanks everyone!" They said happily.

"This has been awesome!" Kosuke shouted.

"I know!" Akira agreed. They got up and hugged Sora and Kairi.

"We love you!" They praised. This made Kairi want to cry, but she held her tears back.

- - -

After things were starting to settle down and people were leaving, the twins were nearly knocked out from being so exhausted. Kairi believed that topping this off next year would be really difficult since it was in fact pretty fun.

Riku decided he would drive them over to the hotel, even though it was a ten minute walk. The twins and even Sora and Kairi were too tired to walk anywhere.

"Riku, darling!" Kairi saw a woman with dark brown hair running over to them. She wore pink glasses and looked like some woman from the fifties or something. Her hair was in pigtails. She wore a short, pink dress with unlaced matching shoes. Riku kissed her as she tried to catch her breath.

"Hello." Riku put his arm around her and turned to Sora and Kairi. The twins had already gotten into the car and seemed to be sleeping.

The girl looked extremely familiar to Kairi. Was it…

"You guys, this is my wife, Selphie."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: LOL, it'll never happen, or will it? Hmmm, what better way to freak out the reader of the story! Kidding… til next time!


	14. Vacation's Over

**Chapter Fourteen—Vacation's Over**

"SELPHIE?" Kairi screamed. The two girls jumped up and down and hugged each other tightly. It was amazing. There was just more and more surprises coming Kairi's way.

"How have you been?" Selphie asked, still shocked from it all. She took a look in the car and saw the twins. "You have children?"

Kairi nodded. She pointed to which twin was which. They were still fast asleep. Everyone fit themselves into the car and Riku drove over to the hotel.

Kairi and Selphie promised to get together tomorrow and catch up on many things; but for now it was midnight and they all were tired.

"Wow…" Kairi let out a big sigh as she got into the bed with Sora. Akira and Kosuke surprisingly didn't wake up when Riku and Sora were carrying them, so it was easy to get them to bed.

"I still can't believe Riku is married to Selphie!" Kairi exclaimed quietly. Sora nodded in agreement. He seemed to be pretty tired himself. Respecting that, Kairi decided to keep her comments to herself and just go to sleep.

- - -

Kairi went over to Riku and Selphie's house; a small, one story home near the shore. Sora decided to stay with the kids for the day so Kairi could visit her old friend. Good thing Selphie was off work today.

The door opened and Selphie's huge smile appeared. She let Kairi inside. It was the cleanest house Kairi had ever seen; not even the tables had dust on them. She also noticed a crib in one of the rooms they passed… which could only mean…

"Do you have kids?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, two." Selphie answered happily. Kairi's eyes widened.

"One is three and the other is seven months. The baby is in here." In the TV room, a baby girl was playing with a rattle on the floor. Selphie picked her up and showed her to Kairi. 

"Aww! How adorable!" Kairi exclaimed. Selphie laughed.

"Riku and I got married about five years ago. When I had Joanna, my three year old, it was really awesome. And Hanna here needs to have her diaper changed…" Selphie gave a disgusted look and went to go and change the diaper. Kairi stayed in the TV room and looked around. There were pictures of Selphie and Riku on the wall, along with pictures of their daughters. What Kairi wanted to know is how this happened…

Selphie came back into the room about ten minutes later. She sat on the couch next to Kairi.

"I had to put her to bed. Joanna is taking her nap too."

"Aww." Kairi smiled.

"I bet you're wondering… why me and Riku, right?" Selphie cleared her throat and continued. "Well… it all began when…"

_Flashback_

Riku knocked on Selphie's door. She was the only one around anymore and he needed someone to talk to. She was quite surprised to see him at her dorm, but nevertheless decided to let him inside. Riku thanked her and sat over at the desk.

"Something wrong?" Selphie asked anxiously.

"Yeah. I just don't know what to do anymore." Riku's tone was low and depressive-like.

"Well… what's wrong?"

It took him a little while to answer, but when he did, it shocked the poor girl.

"I'm sick of being in a new relationship every week. I want someone that I can… love…" 

This was quite awkward for both of them. Selphie wasn't sure on what to say to him, for she has never been in a relationship and wouldn't know. He was so serious about it, too…

"Ever since Namine and I broke up, I felt like a complete asshole. However, I just went out with whoever was there to try and fulfill my desire of being loved, but everytime it ended in failure. It's like there's no one out there for me…"

"Riku…" Selphie put her hand on his shoulder.

"I mean… come on… is love even real? Because I can't seem to find it… no matter how hard I try…"

"Well," Selphie began, "Love just won't… come to you automatically…"

"But look at Kairi and Sora!" Riku was about to bust into tears. "They fell in love, got married and moved away… and I'm left with nothing! Namine's gone too… which doesn't help much… and she's probably in love with someone else anyway! I'm such an idiot!"

"Riku, no you're not!" Selphie cried. "At least you've been in love before! I've never even thought about it!"

"How can you not think about it?" He argued.

"Because I'm in school, and that's all I focus on."

"I'm sure somewhere in there you'd like to find love…" Riku said.

"Maybe so, but I don't want to let it get me down. That's the thing with people these days. They think love is the only thing needed to get by in this world, and yes, I admit, it is a powerful thing and may be very important, but I believe that there's more to life than heartbreak and torture. I want to know when it's right… not wrong."

"But how do you know?" He interrupted.

"When you have absolutely no doubts about the other person and everything just feels great… although that doesn't come easily." Selphie admitted.

"Wow…" Riku was quiet for a moment. "I didn't know you were so… smart…" Selphie took that as an insult and hit him. Riku laughed a little. Ever since this talk, they started to become closer and closer until one day…

End of Flashback

"We were married." She grinned. Kairi wasn't sure she understood the whole story, but Selphie just mixed up thoughts like that. However, it was pretty sweet of her to talk with Riku and help him out. Kairi sometimes wished her and Sora would talk more…

"Of course, there are times when I wonder if he's cheating or something, but isn't that normal?" Selphie was obviously very new at the whole relationship thing, even if she has been married for years. Kairi nodded.

"The problem with Sora is not cheating… it's just…" Kairi paused, "him not being around. He's on the famous Blitzball team and has to travel a lot. I'm proud of him but I sometimes feel lonely because he's not there. I definitely don't want my kids to grow up thinking that their father doesn't like them enough to stick around…"

"Wow, I thought you two were like… perfect!" Selphie gasped.

"Hey, we have our ups and downs too." Kairi laughed.

"He took you on this vacation, didn't he? He _is_ around." Selphie mentioned.

"Yes, and I'm loving this time with his and the family, but it just can't make up for all the times he's left my at home with the twins… especially when they were little…" Kairi leaned back on the couch.

"Isn't he required to go, though?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah, but sometimes I think he made up excuses to leave as well… like when he left one night to go to a home game, but I figured out later that game was cancelled… surely he knew about that…" Kairi sighed.

"That's weird."

_Flashback_

"Hey Kairi, I'm leaving now." Sora waved and walked out the door. Kairi said goodbye. It was storming really badly outside.

"Would he really have a game in this weather?" She wondered, drying her hands off. Akira and Kosuke were crying in the living room from the thunder. They were about one year old at the time.

About an hour later, the power went out which only made things worse. Where would Sora be? Surely he didn't have a game… was he lying to her?

"He wouldn't…" Kairi told herself, still having a small doubt in her mind.

End of Flashback

"He came home around lunchtime the next day. Tell me that's not strange." Kairi said.

"Very…"

Even though this vacation had been great, the thoughts of Sora in the past were starting to get to Kairi again. She hadn't thought about them for weeks now, since he was home. However, she knew after this vacation he would only pick up his bag and leave again…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Hmmm, I wonder if Kairi will ever actually tell Sora about these things… she's a chicken…

**Kairi**: Am not! That's what you make me to be!

**Me**: And… you're a chicken.

**Sora**, doing the chicken dance: What?


	15. It Could Be Worse

**Chapter 15—It Could Be Worse**

Vacation had finally come to an end and it was time to pack their bags and leave. Akira and Kosuke complained and begged to stay, but they knew they couldn't win. The way home was long and stressful, since the kids were pleading to go back again.

About a week later, Kairi was back at work. Her co-workers greeted her back happily. Rinoa and Kairi avoided the boss at all costs. He did something a little earlier that day that really scared them.

_Flashback_

"Oh, Kairi! You're back!" He put his hand on her shoulder. Kairi gave him a nervous laugh, pushed his hand off gently and said hello. She saw Rinoa standing there and went over with her. Mr. Yamada winked at them, and Kairi could've sworn she saw him lick his lips.

"He freaks me out…" Rinoa said. Kairi agreed.

End of Flashback  
  
When Kairi got home, she was surprised to see the twins asleep in the TV room and Anna making some dinner. She set her bags down and went into the kitchen.

"Wow, thanks." Kairi said.

"No problem. Akira and Kosuke were begging me to make them something to eat. They've been so quiet…"

"They're sleeping." She giggled. "Thanks again. I'll take it from here."

After Anna left, Kairi went into the TV room with a few blankets and put them over the twins to keep them warm. Akira squirmed a little and Kosuke seemed like he didn't even feel it. Kairi smiled at them. They were so peaceful when they slept and a lot easier to handle on her part.

"I wonder if we have any ice cream…" she said to herself as she walked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she pulled out the strawberry and chocolate ice cream. Kairi went into her room with the bucket and starting eating it as she watched TV. She hadn't eaten ice cream in a while…

Sora came home. The twins were still sleeping, so he didn't bother them. He found Kairi eating the ice cream out of the bucket and just had to question her about it.

"Why the bucket?"

Kairi looked up at him and shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to."

She fed some to Sora, giggling at his sillyness. He took the spoon and did the same. After that, he put it away, got in bed, and just lay there with her. It was dark and quiet. Kairi stared up at the ceiling.

"I have to leave again tomorrow, but this time for four days." Sora sighed. He sounded a bit disappointed.

"What for?" Kairi looked over at him.

"Our Mid-Season banquet. We're going to some castle."

"Oh… that…"

"Something wrong?" Sora turned onto his side.

"No." She laughed. "Have fun!" Sora sighed in relief and laid back down. He put his arm around her waist and cuddled next to her. He closed his eyes and yawned.

"You know… whenever I go on these trips and stuff, I always miss you and the boys so much. It's like you're on my mind every second…" He whispered. Kairi's stomach twisted. She always blushed when he said things like this. Good thing it was dark.

- - -

Sure enough, Sora left in the afternoon the next day. The kids were at school, and Kairi was off of work. Sometimes the house would be so boring she would actually _want_ to yell at the twins or something. There was nothing on TV, as usual, so it left Kairi searching through the bookshelf. Kairi only read stories that kept her interested from start to finish. It had to be that good or she'd get bored within the first few pages.

"The Widow of the South…" Kairi picked out an old book that her mother gave her when she was younger. She never got around to reading it during her teenage years, considering she didn't read many books back then anyway. Lately she had become interested in History and loved stories that were set 200 or 300 years in the past.

She read for about two hours, getting through six chapters before Akira and Kosuke walked into the door carrying their backpacks. Akira didn't look too happy, but Kosuke was the complete opposite. 

"Mom! Look at my report card!" Kosuke bragged. He had straight A's once again, which always made Kairi happy.

"Very good, Kosuke!" She patted him on the head. Akira was trying to sneak off upstairs, but she stopped him. He whined and gave her his report card.

"Okay, one A… that's good." Kairi read down the list and looked at the comments left by teachers. "One B, and four F's?" She was shocked.

"So I'm not perfect like Kosuke! So what!" Akira tried to run upstairs again, but Kairi made him stay. She knew yelling at him wasn't going to bring his grades up, so she thought of a better idea.

Kairi grabbed her keys and told them to get into the car. She knew Kosuke didn't really need this lecture, but you never know what could happen with children these days. Before they left, Kairi put a small knife into her pocket. (**A/N**: She's not going to kill them, don't worry! XD)

She drove over to the part of town that had all of the poor people on the side of the street begging for money. Akira and Kosuke weren't too fond of this tour, but they had no choice. Since the car had tinted windows, she let them see how these people lived and tried to explain some general reasons why they would be that way. She wasn't criticizing them in any way.

"Do you two want to end up like that?" She pointed over to a man in rags picking some food out of a trashcan. They shook their heads nervously. There was another man with a long, brown dirty beard holding a bottle of alcohol near a jewelry shop.

"Why are they like that?" Kosuke asked.

"Because they probably were high school dropouts." Kairi answered.

"You can drop out of school? I thought that would get you sent to jail or something." Kosuke said. Kairi shrugged. She wasn't too familiar with the law system around here, but back on Destiny Islands, the parents would've been charged if their children didn't attend school and possibly go to jail.

"The lesson here is, if you don't want to end up on the side of the road begging people for money… with rotten teeth and no job or family, you need to keep your grades up, okay? I'm saying this to _both_ of you." Kairi said.

The twins were pretty freaked out by this, so she took them to get some fast food to make them feel a little better. However, she knew it might take a little more than that to convince Akira to do his schoolwork. She just hadn't found out what to do yet. Kairi knew since she was usually the only parent in the house, that she would have to figure out how to do this by herself.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Such mixed feelings… xD If you're wondering about the knife, I would be afraid of those people… they might try to kill you. Oo; You never know… heh!


	16. Uh Oh

**Chapter 16 – Uh Oh…**

Christmas was in three days. Luckily, Sora always had breaks during Christmas, as well as Kairi, so they were able to spend time together. Sora's team just won their game against the Olympus, so he was really happy. He even made dinner that night for the family.

"Wow, Sora! It looks delicious…" Kairi pointed out as she pointed to the ribs covered in sauce. He had also made some mashed potatoes, making Kairi's mouth water. Kairi hadn't cooked like that in a while, so she was glad Sora took over. Akira and Kosuke came in carrying their Christmas lists in their hands.

"You two know that you're not getting everything on this list, right?" Kairi told them as she read through the list that literally went down to the floor.

"Sure they can." Sora mentioned, making Kairi glare at him. She thought they cleared the fact that they weren't going to spoil their kids.

"They can have _most_ of the things listed." Sora corrected himself after Kairi's long stare. It was quiet for a moment.

"I have to pee." Kairi walked off to the bathroom.

She had just taken some Tylenol to cure her headache, which wasn't really working. She looked at herself in the mirror.

"I really don't feel well…" Kairi turned off the light and went back into the kitchen. Sora was setting plates out on the table.

"What's the matter, Kairi?" Sora asked, realizing her condition.

"Nothing, I just have a headache, that's all…" Kairi felt a little light-headed. She really didn't feel like eating, even though the food was so tempting.

"I'll eat later… I think I'm going to lay down…"

Kairi felt really bad for skipping out on dinner when Sora made it for the first time in years, but the fever was really starting to get to her. He came into the room to check on her.

"What's wrong, Kairi?" He asked with a deep concern. Kairi rested her head on the pillow. She was starting to get cold. Sora pulled her hair out of her face.

"Sorry, Sora…" She groaned as her headache hurt even more. Sora sat on the bed next to her.

"Don't be sorry. You're just sick, that's all. It'll be better in the morning. Go ahead and sleep, okay?" He kissed her forehead, paused when he noticed how warm it was and then walked out. Kairi fell asleep.

- -

_It was midnight and the twins were crying again. This woke Kairi and Sora up. _

"Could you take care of them? Thanks…" Sora tried to go back to sleep as Kairi got up and headed upstairs. That was the third time he didn't help her because he supposedly was "too tired."

Akira wanted a bottle and Kosuke was only crying because his brother was. A mother gets used to these cries and is able to tell the difference between each one. She took the bottle off of the dresser that she usually kept there at night and fed Akira, but Kosuke was still crying. She set Akira down with his bottle and picked up Kosuke to calm him down. He immediately stopped all the noise, but then Akira started again when his bottle went empty.

Kairi wished Sora would at least help her. It was hard to handle two crying children at once. It was so wrong…

Once they finally settled down in their cribs, Kairi decided to stay a little longer just in case they needed her again.

"For an athlete…" Kairi whispered to herself, "Sora's pretty lazy…" A tear rolled down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly.

- -

It was 2AM when Kairi woke up and ran to the bathroom. (**A/N**: Now I have that song in my head… xD) She was feeling really sick now and was about to throw up. Sure enough, she did, and I will not go into any detail.

Sora realized she had thrown up and knocked on the door. Kairi leaned against the wall feeling much better than before, but still had some cold chills here and there. She nodded for him to come in. He got a rag and wiped her face with it, then helped her stand up.

"Better?"

"Yeah," She answered, taking a few deep breaths. "Thanks."

"No problem."

- - -

Despite her throwing up last night, Kairi still felt a bit queasy throughout the day. It came at random times and was really starting to make her wonder if…

"NAMINE, GET OVER HERE NOW!" Kairi said over the phone. Without a second thought, Namine accepted and went over there.

"You have all the signs… cravings, morning sickness… Kairi, you might be pregnant!" Namine exclaimed. She seemed happier than Kairi did.

"But… I can't be! I don't want to be!" She paused. "Am I?"

"There's only one thing to do." Namine said. "Get tested!"

Sora walked into the room. "Huh? Tested for what?" Kairi, not wanting him to know anything, tried to cover up.

"Um… get tested for… rabies." This was the perfect time to use the cut she got a couple days ago on her arm as an excuse. "I was bitten by a stray animal."

"Ohh, well maybe I should go with you."

"No!" Sora gave her a strange look. "I mean," Kairi said, "Namine and I are going out today, like to shop around… if I don't have rabies…" She hated lying to him.

Kairi and Namine left to the hospital. At least she was only _half way_ lying… she _was_ going to the hospital… just not to get tested for something as ridiculous as rabies that she was so surprised he believed.

When they entered, a nurse told Kairi to follow her. Namine waited in the waiting room for about fifteen minutes before she came out.

"They said they'll give me the results in a minute…" Kairi said nervously. Namine patted her back as they awaited the final results…

It wasn't until about ten minutes later when the nurse came out holding some papers. She pulled Kairi aside.

"It turns out that yes, you're about four or five weeks pregnant."

Kairi's eyes widened. She felt her stomach twist. She didn't want to be pregnant again. This was too much. The nurse began giving her tips on what she should do, but Kairi told her she had to leave and took Namine and got out.

"Well?" Namine asked.

"I… I'm pregnant…" Kairi told her. Namine screamed.

"That's so awesome! Aww!"

"No it's not!" Kairi yelled. She felt like crying. In fact, she was getting dizzy. How was she going to tell Sora? She knew he would be excited, but Kairi just didn't want to deal with all the stress again…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: I know I already added a chapter today, but doesn't that make it better for you? Hehe, Heather, you were right. XD. Uh oh, looks like Kairi doesn't want another kid. I wonder why? Also, I'm going to try to get in as many chapters as I can before March 28… (You guys know what day that is!) If not, you might have to wait a while. Oh yeah, this lady is making Kairi's kh2 costume for me! It's awesome! I might learn how to do it so I can make other costumes. That'd be sweet.


	17. Merry Christmas

**Chapter 17--Merry Christmas!**

It was Christmas morning in Twilight Town. The streets were covered in sheets of ice, a first for this town on such a special day. Akira and Kosuke were downstairs by six AM, begging for Sora and Kairi to wake up. They knew this would happen, since it happened every single walking year of the twin's lives.

"Okay, we're up…" Sora groaned, rolling over. Akira didn't believe him and shook him some more. Kairi and Sora had spent three hours last night wrapping presents and putting them under the tree. (**A/N**: I hope no one here believes in Santa still… xD) Kosuke was trying to wake Kairi up. Eventually they gave in.

Sora and Kairi followed the twins into the TV room where they had a beautiful Christmas tree embellished with ornaments and Christmas lights. Sora grabbed the camera while Kairi sat on the couch. Akira and Kosuke jumped for the presents.

"Whoa! A Monster Truck Xtreme!" Akira gasped.

"The Guinness Book of World Records!" Exclaimed Kosuke.

Sora gave Kairi a small box and told her to open it. She blushed and did so. It was a beautiful golden and pink heart necklace. She got up and hugged him.

It took Kairi a long time to find something just right for Sora, considering it was very difficult to find something Sora really wanted. Lately Sora and the twins have been talking about getting a pet, so Kairi thought of an idea…

"Where are we going, mom?" Akira asked. She took them down into the basement and turned on the light. 

"Awesome!" The twins yelled happily in unison as they rushed over to the little golden retriever puppy sitting on the floor. Sora seemed pretty happy too.

"Wow, you actually got us a dog, eh?" He said to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Kairi nodded. The twins were so excited to finally get their own pet. Kairi considered it a family present.

"Let's name him Gipsy!" Akira suggested.

"_She_ already has a name, and it's Sunshine." Kairi noted. (**A/N**: That's the dog's name down the street! I love that dog!)

- - -

Kairi invited Namine and her family over for Christmas dinner that night. Both Kairi and Namine cooked some food while Roxas and Sora talked in the TV room. Akira and Kosuke were playing upstairs with Haruka.

"So when do you plan on telling Sora?" Namine whispered, since the husbands were just in the other room. Kairi shrugged, nearly forgetting all about it.

"I'll tell him… eventually…" Kairi put the pans away.

The kids came rushing downstairs when they heard the word "Dinner!" being called. Sora took out a separate fold-up table that the kids could sit at and set it on the other side of the kitchen. Everyone said grace and started eating.

"This is really good," Roxas said with food in his mouth. Namine glared at him.

"Thanks." Kairi said. She knew she shouldn't eat too much.

"So Sora, when's your next game?" Namine asked.

"Um, January 6th, I think."

"Against who?" Roxas took a sip of his soda.

"The Chinese Mafia." He rolled his eyes at the name. Kairi nearly choked from sudden laughter.

"I got a new job." Roxas said, changing the subject.

"Finally." Namine mumbled.

Ignoring her comment, Roxas continued. "Down at the City Hall."

"That's cool." Sora said.

Namine and her family left around nine o'clock that night. There were tons of dishes that Kairi really didn't feel like doing. The smell of the soap made her feel nauseas, so Sora decided to do them. He was going to wash dishes anyway.

Kairi let Akira and Kosuke stay up until ten before it was time for them to go off to bed for the night. Seeing this as a privilege, they obeyed. Kairi, feeling a bit tired herself, went to bed as well.

- - -

**A/N**: I know, it was a short chapter. 'Til next time!


	18. Trouble?

**Chapter Eighteen – Trouble?**

Christmas break was over and the kids were back in school, and Kairi was back at work. Everyone at work was all a little tired from their two weeks off, but still gave it their best shot, nevertheless. Rinoa still wasn't back from her trip to visit her cousins, so she wouldn't be at work that day.

_"Over here, Gerald! I think I found it!"_ Kairi played her character very well. When she was younger, she used to memorize movies and act them out, each character having a different voice. It was great to actually have the job she did.

Except for one thing…

"Bravo!" Clapped Mr. Yamada.

It was time for a lunch break. Mr. Yamada invited Kairi over to his office. Unsure about going, she told him she'd rather stay in the lobby with the others, but he practically pleaded for her to come. 

"Okay…"

She walked into his office. It sort of freaked her out when he closed the door, but she kept her mouth shut. He took a seat in his office chair, not taking his eyes off of her. 

"I just wanted to say how much I enjoy you working here at UAS." He said that every single day…

"Yes, I know…" Kairi tried to stay calm.

He checked her expression, which wasn't bad, but didn't exactly look too good either. Mr. Yamada rose from his chair and circled around to her, smiling. Kairi, feeling a bit uncomfortable, sunk a little in the chair, but was relieved when he went over to the other side of the room.

"It's not all the time I get someone as good… and might I add, as beautiful as you, Kairi."

"Ehh, you do know I'm married, right?"

There was a pause. "Yes. I do."

"Okay, just making sure."

He walked over to her, got about eight inches away from her face and said, "But that has nothing to do with _me_, now does it?"

Freaked out by this, Kairi stood up and moved away from him. She headed for the door. Mr. Yamada laughed.

"I'm only kidding."

For some reason, she didn't believe him. Her hand gripped onto the doorknob, ready to open it at any moment. She checked her watch and noticed break time was over about ten minutes ago, giving her a reason to leave. 

She rushed out of there quickly, not looking back. Many times Kairi had thought about quitting because of him, but she loved voice acting. She was afraid that if she called the police and got him fired, she would lose her job somehow. She definitely didn't want to do that, but she also didn't want to put herself in the same situation that happened nearly twelve years ago…

After work, Kairi stopped by Namine's house. She and Namine had been hanging out a lot more often than usual for working adults, but she was glad they were able to spend time together just like the old days.

"My boss scares me." Kairi said.

"Call the police. That's not right." Namine told her.

"I know I should… but…" 

"Are you the only one he messes with?"

Kairi shook her head. "Rinoa has told me stories too."

"GET HIM FIRED!" Namine demanded. "I'll do it." She picked up the phone. Kairi wanted to stop her, but then again didn't. Kairi wasn't the one getting him fired, was she? It didn't affect her at all…

- - -

Sora had to leave tomorrow for his game, so he was taking a break the entire day. It was pretty quiet in the house, since he was the only one home. Sora picked up a newspaper and looked through it, not really finding anything interesting. It had been quite a relaxing day for him, one he hadn't really gotten to have in a while.

"Man, there's nothing on TV, there's nothing to read… what to do… what to do…" He looked around desperately for something to entertain him, but there was nothing. He began to wonder where Kairi was.

"She should be home by now, shouldn't she?"

He went outside and got the mail. Somehow three fan letters seemed to have gotten to his mailbox, which kind of scared him. If his fans knew where he lived… that only meant…

"WE HAVE TO MOVE!" Sora blurted out at dinner that night. Everyone stared at him, completely bewildered by the random comment.

"No we don't." Kairi disagreed. Sora showed her the fan letters that said how much they loved him and such.

"Oh my…" Kairi noticed some really explicit material in these letters.

"Can I see?" Asked Akira, immediately getting shot down.

Kairi went to bed early once again. Sora, who took a nap earlier, decided to stay up and watch TV. Akira and Kosuke went to bed. The phone rang.

"Hello?" Sora answered.

"Hey, it's Rinoa! Is Kairi there?"

"She's sleeping, could I take a message?" Sora got a pen and paper.

"Oh, I just called to say how happy I am that she's going to have another kid!" She was really excited. Sora's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute…" he wasn't sure on what he heard, "What?"

"Oh my gosh… you don't know… do you?" You couldn't see it, but Rinoa covered her mouth.

"Don't worry, I'll tell her." He hung up without saying goodbye.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Uh oh! What will Sora do?


	19. Fight

**Chapter 19—Fight**

The next morning, Kairi was surprised to find Sora—home. He was in the kitchen staring out the window.

"I thought you had a game." Kairi said, standing next to him. He didn't say anything. Obviously something was wrong. She put her hand on his shoulder and leaned against it.

Sora must've been really upset to miss a Blitzball game, especiallyat the peak of the season. Kairi just had to know what was going on.

"Sora, what's the matter?"

"I don't know if I should tell you." He said coldly, throwing her off guard. There was something he couldn't tell her?

Sunshine came into the kitchen carrying a small toy in her mouth. She set it down at Kairi's feet and wagged her tail. However, Kairi wasn't really in the mood to play.

"What… do you mean?" She asked him. Sora said nothing, just continued to glare out the window. He was furious about something, she just couldn't tell what.

"Sora…"

"I have to hear from someone _else _that you're pregnant?" He shouted. Kairi had never seen him so angry before. She froze. How did he find out? There was no point in denying it…

"Y-Yes… I am…"

"Oh my goodness…" Sora turned away from her. "And you lied to me about that testing thing, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Why? Why would you lie to me… especially about something like this? Do you think I would leave or something?"

_You already do…_

"No… that's not it at all…" She said.

_I'm lying again…_

"And when did you plan on telling me? The day you gave birth?" He exaggerated. Kairi shook her head and held onto him tightly.

"Sora! Just listen to me, okay?" She started crying.

_It's now or never…_

They went into the TV room and sat down on the couch. He definitely wanted an explanation for all of this. There was no way out. Kairi had to tell him the truth.

"I don't want another child…" Kairi admitted.

"Why not?"

"Well…" Kairi began, not able to think of the right way to word all of this. "You know I don't believe in abortion, so that's out of the question, so now I'm just going to have to have another one. But… it's not what I planned…"

"I still don't understand." He said bluntly.

"I don't think you're around enough for me to have another child!" She yelled.

It was silent. Kairi took deep breaths. She couldn't believe she just told him that. However, she had to finish what she started. Sora was shocked. All these years, he had no idea that he was causing trouble.

"I mean… yes, you're _here_ when you don't have any games or anything… but if you know how it felt to take care of those twins all by myself, you would understand!" Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Kairi, you know being famous is a tough business…"

"No! No I don't! I don't know what it's like to be followed around every second! I thought _you knew_ this, Sora! I am _not_ like you! I never _will _be like you!" She took a deep breath. "I just want you to spend more time around the house like a normal husband!" Sora felt like he's heard these words somewhere before. Sora didn't know what to say.

"And yet you wonder why I can't tell you these things… because you aren't here anymore! Sure, that vacation was nice, sure, Christmas was cool, but those nights I've spent all alone with the twins were not very fun, Sora! Especially when they were younger… even when you _were_ here, you wouldn't help me take care of them, so how could I actually be proud of having _another_ child? Hmm?"

"I can't be around all the time!" Sora snapped.

"I'm not asking you to be here every second." She said in a calmer tone. "I just want you to be here when I need you. When your _family_ needs you."

Sora stared into her eyes for a long time before he got up and walked out of the room. Kairi's eyes were drained out from all the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She heard a door slam and the car pulling out of the driveway, but didn't do anything to stop him. Maybe he was overreacting. Kairi was actually planning on telling him about her pregnancy when he returned from his Blitzball game, but now she actually had doubts on whether he was going to come home this time or not. She knew that he would, but...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Maybe Sora took it a little too seriously… hmm… is he wrong? Is Kairi wrong? Are they both wrong? Will Sora come back home or will he leave for good? Til next time!


	20. Sora's Decision

**Chapter 20 – Sora's Decision**

_"If I hurry, I can make it…"_ Sora rushed to the train station. He had purposely missed it that morning so he could _talk_ with Kairi, but now he regretted he ever did. However, it did make him think about her in a different way…

_"I just want you to be here when I need you. When your family needs you."_ Kairi's words repeated over and over in his head. He just couldn't shake them away. He arrived at the train station just in time before it was about to depart. Sora gave the man his ticket and got on. He was heading over to Ancient China, where his game would take place.

_"When your family needs you…"_ He said aloud, not realizing it. He had to admit, he did overreact a little too much at her and she was probably feeling really bad right now, but he was going to do something about it that would hopefully make things better. The train ride seemed longer than it really was, and Sora was in a dilemma. He had to decide then on what he was going to do, not when he got there.

_Flashback_

Sora walked through the door carrying all his luggage and such from the previous away game. The lights in the kitchen were out, as well as the rest of the house. It must've been later than he realized. He noticed a note on the counter from Kairi.

"Out with Namine and Orett. I'll be back later. The twins are spending the night at Keita's house."

There wasn't even an "I love you" after it, which seemed sort of strange for the moment. Sora set the paper down and dropped his bags to rest his arms. He went over to the sink. It was filled with dishes. He also noticed that the laundry hadn't been washed either.

Lately Kairi has been out of the house more and more, which wasn't a bad thing, if it wasn't too frequent. Sora couldn't come home and see his wife grinning at him with the breathtaking smile she used to have, or kiss her like he used to. It was like they were in completely separate worlds, even when they were in the same room together. The only words they would say to each other would be those of casual conversation, such as "hello," or "how are you?"

They also never found any time to have a real conversation, because Sora was gone most the time as well. He knew that when he took this job he would have to travel around a lot, away from his family. He told Kairi that, and she agreed to it. However, over the years, Sora felt as if he had been gone all along.

End of Flashback  
  
But that didn't stop him from getting up and going to practice or a game every day. He had a commitment to his team that he couldn't break, or at least that's what he used to think. Ever since that argument him and Kairi had that morning, he has been debating on which came first, family or money. Sora knew the answer, it was obvious, but it was just really tough on him. Could he really give up a life of fame just to go back to living a normal life?

Another thing that had been bugging him lately was the role he had as a father. He couldn't remember the last time it was just him and the twins out together. He barely ever spent father and son time with his children because he was away so much, and he's always wanted to change that. And Kairi… how could he forget her? She's the love of his life and he just tossed her away.

"I love her…"

- - -

_"Hello and welcome to the game where one wins and the other literally goes to hell! Okay, not literally, but you get my drift, right?"_ Said the announcer as thousands and thousands of people in the stands went wild. Sora arrived at the stadium and rushed past the pedestrians and reporters standing outside without even greeting any of the publicity cameras pointed at him.

"SORA! Where have you been?" The coach hustled him as Sora tried to catch his breath. 

"Sorry coach, I had a few family problems," Obviously the coach didn't hear him because he then pushed Sora out into the arena. (**A/N**: Is that what you call it?) He took his place next to Soubi up top.

"Dude! You missed the train!" Soubi shouted to him.

"I know, let's forget about it, okay?" Sora looked straight ahead, ready to seize the ball. He had no intention of losing the last game he would ever play in.

- - -

Kairi was still a little moody from the fight earlier and had made herself some hot chocolate. She wondered if Sora still went to his stupid Blitzball game, so she turned on the TV and saw him there. The game had just started.

_"Idiot…"_ She mumbled to herself. Kairi went back into the kitchen. She never really liked Blitzball anyway.

- - -

It was halftime. Sora stretched over near the benches as Soubi came over to talk to him.

"What's up, man? It seems like something's bugging ya."

Sora looked up at him and shook his head. Soubi stared at him a little longer before he spoke again, trying to make sense of his blank facial expression. Sora made sure his shoes were tied and everything was ready and then stood up again.

Sora was trying to block Kairi and the twins out of his mind as he played the game, but no matter how hard he tried, they always popped up. It held him back a lot throughout the second half when he thought about how he was leaving after this game…

_"SCORE! The Chinese are down by three! Can they catch up before this game is over? And what is Kiyamoto doing? He really needs to get his head in the game!"_ (**A/N**: High School musical! XD) Sora was staying low for a while and letting Soubi get a few shots in. Although he was competitive, Sora didn't like rallying up point after point. It made the other team feel bad and he didn't want to do that, which is why he gave the ball to Soubi.

"_Ten seconds to go…"_

- - -

Kairi sat back down on the couch and decided she might as well watch the rest of the game. She wondered why Sora wasn't doing much, but when she saw the score she knew. Her soccer team used to lose all the time, and they were lucky if the other team had a decent coach that didn't continue make his players score all the time.

- - -

The game was over. They had won, and the crowd was cheering. The Twilight Cheerleaders jumped up and down with their golden pompoms and skirts flying in the air for everyone to see. A couple of Sora's teammates patted him on the back congratulating him on a good game just like they did every time, but he knew it wouldn't last for long. They all headed to the locker room for a team meeting.

"I just have to say that you guys did a great job out there…" The coach said, wiping a tear from his eye. He always did this when they won a game. Someone passed him a few tissues. He talked a bit more, but Sora seemed to have zoned out.

After the speech was over and the guys were done getting dressed, Sora blocked the door. He decided that if he was going to tell anyone that he was quitting first, it would be his own team. 

"Sora, what's going on, man? Let us through!" Said one of them.

"Hold on… I want to talk to you all." Sora said in a peaceful manner holding up one hand. They all stared at him for a moment and then went and sat back down. This was going to be harder than Sora thought.

"Uh…" He rubbed the back of his head slowly, looking around at all of their perplexed faces. They were starting to get impatient, so he was rushed even more. Sora's coach urged for him to go on.

"Well, I've come to a decision that… I will not be able to play for the Twilight Town Hornets anymore."

It was like a mob had just spurred out of nowhere, because automatically there was confrontation and anger. Sora expected this to happen, but he wanted to explain himself too. He calmed them down a bit and spoke again.

"The reason I was late this morning was because I had just figured out from someone else the night before that my wife was pregnant… and I got a little angry because she never told me about it. So this morning we… _talked_ about it, and well… it made me realize that my family needs me more than I knew. So I just wanted to tell you guys that I am quitting the team. Thanks." He grabbed his bags and walked out, leaving about twenty-five astonished faces in the locker room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

**A/N**: Did Sora make the right decision? Found out in the next chapter!

**Sora**, groaning: Are you _seriously _thinking of doing an _I Heart You III_?

**Me**: I dunno, it's a thought…

**Kairi**: Oh goodness, I'm not going to be _old_, am I?

**Me**: Possibly in your thirties… that's not _that_ old, is it?


	21. Back at Home

**Chapter 21 – Back At Home**

Kairi had just gotten out of the shower when Sora walked into the bedroom. She didn't expect him to return for days, or even more than that. Kairi wrapped a towel around herself creaked the door open a little. He hadn't noticed that she was in there, surprisingly, which made the atmosphere quite strange. He sat on the other edge of the bed staring down at the floor. Kairi could not see his face, but had a feeling that he wasn't too happy.

She quietly closed the door, locked it, and then examined her stomach in the mirror. She was about a month and one week pregnant, so the weight was beginning to kick in. After getting dressed, she turned off the light and faced Sora. He looked up at her and smiled, but Kairi knew it was fake. When he realized that she wasn't buying it, he merely sighed and returned his attention to the floor. She cuddled next to him, rubbing his back gently.

"What's wrong?" She wanted to get straight to the point.

His eyes met hers. Kairi had a sudden feeling of fear just by looking into these sad, blue eyes of his that almost told her everything she needed to know. However, just to be sure, she asked him again.

She guessed Sora was trying to pretend that everything was all right, which only made things worse. She pressed a little harder onto his back, but figured it wasn't doing much. Kairi leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Heh," he said in a low, careful tone, "Guess what?" Her eyes directed up to his desperately.

"What?"

"I'm going to be around more often now…" He gave her a small, nervous laugh. Kairi looked at him strangely, unable to grasp what he said at the first few seconds of hearing it, but eventually found out what he was talking about. Her stomach twisted.

"I thought about what you said to me this morning, and on the way to the game I began to decipher it all and… well…" He lifted her chin up. "I quit the team."

All Kairi could do was freeze. _"I quit the team…"_ Played over and over in her head, like she was in a strange dream or something that she couldn't get out of. Sora tried to get response out of her, but nothing came.

"E-Excuse me…." Kairi got up and walked quickly out of the room covering her mouth. She had tons of different feelings at the same time—such as regret, guilt, pain, and a sudden urge to pee. (**A/N**: o.O) She closed the bathroom door. They had a bathroom in the bedroom, but she went with instinct and went to the one in the hallway.

Sora knocked on the door a few times. Kairi didn't want to say anything. What has she done? He obviously didn't want this… and neither did she… right? Yeah, she wanted him to be around more, but quitting his career as a famous Blitzball player? That chance doesn't come around for just any normal person. She felt as if she had just ruined his entire life…

"Kairi? You okay? I'll be in the kitchen."

The knocks on the door ceased. Kairi waited a few more seconds before sinking down to the floor and burying her face in her hands. She cried.

- - -

"Dad! You're home!" Exclaimed Akira and Kosuke as they ran downstairs. Sora smiled widely at them and ruffled their reddish hair.

"It's ten o'clock, shouldn't you two be in bed?"

"We heard you come in!" Akira blurted out.

Sora laughed. "Well that's nice that you're glad I'm home… I'm glad to be here myself, but you two need to go to bed. You have a little something called _school_ tomorrow, I believe?"

They both shook their heads. "No!" They lied. Sora shooed them upstairs. He smiled to himself, but that smile soon faded when he turned around and saw Kairi standing there. She had obviously been crying. Sora wrapped his arms around her.

"Things are going to change now, you hear?" He kissed her. "Kairi, I love you. I love Akira and Kosuke. I don't ever want you to think otherwise, okay?" She nodded weakly and pulled him closer. Sora held on tight.

"But how…" she said, not moving her head from his chest, "how could you just… walk away from your team like that?"

Akira and Kosuke sat at the top of the stairs listening to the conversation. Akira made "lubby-dubby" faces as Kosuke tried to shush him.

"Well, I guess there are just some things that are more important than Blitzball." Sora reasoned. Kairi pulled away from him. Tears were forming in her eyes again.

"I admit, I used to dream about you quitting your job and coming home, but that was _only_ a dream. Now that it's a reality, it's a nightmare…" Her voice was rising. "I have never felt more guilty in my life! It's all my fault! If I would've just kept my mouth shut like I've been doing for so many years… you would still be playing Blitzball… but no… I have to be _selfish_…" She turned her head away. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to say what she had to say. Kairi didn't want to yell, but she couldn't find any other way to express herself at the moment.

"Kairi! That's crazy! You're not selfish!" Sora wanted to hold her again, but she wouldn't let him.

Akira and Kosuke suddenly felt a bit gloomy. They had never heard their mother yelling and crying this way, which made them want to go downstairs and hug her. However, they knew they'd get in trouble for eavesdropping on the situation when they should've been in bed.

"I'm nothing but a selfish woman that wanted to destroy her husband's life!" She fell to the floor and cried some more. Sora went down with her, trying to his best ability to calm her down, which wasn't working. Kairi couldn't stop the tears from coming.

"Kairi! I _wanted_ to do this! I want to make it better, I really do!" He argued, but she wouldn't listen. She was too busy drowning in her own guilt.

"Mom is scaring me…" Kosuke whispered. They continued to hear her whining and putting herself down. All of a sudden, Akira got up and headed for his room, shutting the door hard behind him. Kosuke was sure that the parents heard that and rushed after him.

Sure enough, Sora and Kairi _did_ hear the door slam. Kairi got quiet but still cried. She was shaking and felt a little sick. They exchanged worried looks. Sora went upstairs as Kairi headed straight back to the bathroom.

Akira and Kosuke's door was locked when Sora went to go check on them. Kosuke had a bad habit of locking the door, which frustrated Sora and Kairi. Akira was on his side facing the wall, not talking at all. Not even Kosuke could get him to say anything, which was really bad. Kosuke got up and opened the door for Sora, who stood there crossing his arms.

"Sorry, I forgot that I locked it." Kosuke got back into bed. Akira still hadn't moved. Sora said goodnight and closed the door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

**A/N**: Aww, poor kid! Poor Kairi too… heh… yes, she _is_ kind of a wimp throughout the series… oh well


	22. Go Away!

**Chapter 22 – Go Away!**

"Come on, Akira." Kosuke lay in his bed staring over at his brother's. Akira was motionless. It was almost believable that he was sleeping. However, Kosuke knew his twin brother better than anyone, even if they were different.

Finally after much nagging, Akira turned onto his back and faced him. He was tired, obviously, but also very sad as well.

"Did you hear that? Dad quit his job." He said in a low, disappointed tone.

"Yeah… but…" Kosuke paused, "It's not the end of the world."

"Yes it is!" He sat up. "What if we become poor or something?"

"That's not going to happen. And plus, mom has a job too." Kosuke reasoned.

"But that's not all… do you know how many people at school are going to hate us now?"

"You mean hate _you_. And why would they?"

"Well… if dad's not famous anymore, they won't care about _us_."

"And who are _they_?" Kosuke glared at him. "People that only like you because of your father? That's really low. Have you ever thought about who your real friends were?"

"But… that's besides the point!" Akira covered his mouth because he thought he was too loud when he said that. And then in a whisper he said, "All my friends are true to me!"

"Akira, think of how you met… I don't know, Sally and Jason. They came up to you, not even knowing your name when they've been in class with you all year and asked if Sora Kiyamoto was your father. Immediately after that, the others swarmed on you. And what about Nikki?"

Akira eyed him. "What about her?" 

"How did you meet her?"

"Hey! That was way before dad became famous!"

"But you weren't friends until she found out, right?" Akira had a point.

"Argh… you're just jealous that I get so many friends!" Akira pulled the covers over himself and faced away from his brother.

"Actually I'm glad that I don't get as many friends as you do, because that only means less drama for me! Geeze!" Kosuke did the same.

- - -

Kairi was sick for about two days, so she got off work. She spent most of it in bed. Part of her sickness was the depression she had been building up inside the past few days. Sora cooked the meals, woke the kids up and sent them off to school, and gave her anything she asked for. Despite the good way he was treating her, she still felt really guilty for making him quit his job.

"Honey, for the last time, it's _not_ your fault…" He sat next to her on the bed and moved her hair out of her face. She didn't answer him. Sora sighed and stood up, still not taking his eyes off of her. Kairi coughed and turned over onto her side, her back facing him. Sora walked out of the room, turning off the light behind him. 

_"Although I did not like quitting, I still had to do it…"_ He thought.

Akira and Kosuke left for school. Sora yawned as he waved to them. He didn't get much sleep the night before. He had been up thinking about Kairi all night, even though she was lying right next to him.

Kairi, on the other hand, had been debating in her head back and forth on whether what Sora did was right. Was it wrong for him to do that? But then those memories of her taking care of the twins all alone came back, and she could only think of Sora helping her this time around. However, Blitzball still was his dream… which was why she felt so depressed and angry at herself. But he also had a family… it was so confusing.

She started to feel a little better throughout the day after she threw up, but still had a headache. Her eyes were all dried out; she couldn't possibly cry anymore than she did. 

- - -

Akira and Kosuke walked off to their third grade classes, still pissed at each other from the night before. They didn't even say goodbye to one another. Akira went to the classroom down the hall from Kosuke's class.

"Hello Akira!" Nikki greeted happily, making Akira blush a little.

"Hiya." If it was possible for nine-year olds to fall in love, that's where Akira would be right now. However, poor kid, he didn't even know what love meant.

"Akira! Why did your dad quit?" Asked Sally as she held out some fan pictures of him, which always freaked Akira out. He didn't really want to be reminded of that.

"He didn't _quit_… he just took a break for a while." Akira lied.

Meanwhile, Kosuke's classmates were bugging him about it too. These things spread around quickly.

"He quit because he wanted to spend more time with us. Is that so wrong?" Kosuke saw no need to lie. His friend Megan came over to him and sat down next to him. She was a shy, blonde girl with cute little blue eyes and always wore her hair in pigtails no matter what the occasion. Kosuke had a crush on her at one time, but decided to back off when he found out she liked someone else.

"That's so sweet of him." Megan said.

"Man, the team is going to suck now!" Yelled out one boy. Kosuke couldn't care less. However, Akira wanted to save his social status.

"Look, I don't know why he's doing it… just shut up about it, okay?" Akira rolled his eyes and turned away from the rest of his questioning classmates. He guessed their parents wanted to know too, because whenever he would see one of them they would gasp and start whispering behind papers and such. Was it really _that _big of a deal?

Nikki put her hand on Akira's shoulder, making him jump. She laughed at his clumsiness. "You're so silly."

After school, Akira and Kosuke met up again, still a little angry with each other, but would actually talk this time.

"People wouldn't shut up about dad all day!" Kosuke said, irritated.

"Tell me about it."

They decided to keep all of this on the low and not tell Sora about it. Kosuke figured it would make him miss being a Blitzball player, but Akira just flat out did not want to. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Question: Should I make a part 2 to this story and that will count as the 3rd I Heart You series or just make an entirely new story? I don't know…


	23. A Little Love?

**Chapter 23 – A Little Love?**

Kairi was cleaning under the bed when she found some old yearbooks. She sat against the wall and flipped through some of them. One was her Senior year, the year she actually fell in love with Sora. She read through all the signatures until she came to what he wrote.

_"When I wrote your name in the sand…"_ She said aloud without realizing it.

"A wave came and I thought the ocean washed it away." Sora came into the room and sat next to her. "However," he looked in her eyes, "when I turned to look, it was still there… completely untouched." He had memorized it. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"What _exactly_ does that mean?" Kairi asked him. "I had a few obvious ideas, but I want to know what _you_ meant when you wrote it."

He looked at her with a confused expression, as if he had forgotten what they were talking about.

"It means," Sora said, "That no matter what happens, I will always love you. You will _always_ be in my heart."

"That's what I thought." Kairi giggled. "I love you so much."

Sora kissed her forehead and asked to see the yearbook. He went to their senior pictures. Kairi covered hers up with her hand, but Sora moved it.

"Oh come on… you were beautiful then and you're beautiful now. There's no doubt about that." He complimented. 

"Whatever…" She turned the page. Kairi and Sora began to remember all the ups and downs they had in high school, and how their love pulled them through it, even if it was the last few months.

"I've always wondered… what happened to Tidus, or Wakka… or even Tifa?" Kairi asked. Sora gave her a strange look.

"Why would you want to know that?"

"I don't know." She said. "I just wonder these things. I guess what my Family and Parenting teacher said was right. You will only keep in touch with about two or three people that you met in high school after its over… its just a fact."

"Well, Wakka plays for some Blitzball team, I'll tell you that much." Sora shrugged.

- - -

Kairi was in her fourth month. She only threw up occasionally now, which made her happy. However, mood swings still affected her every day life. Lately she had been crying at even the happiest situations… for no reason at all. She remembered that she did this when she was pregnant with the twins, so it wasn't a surprise to her.

"Oh my God…" Kairi clutched her stomach. "It moved!" This was definitely a shocker for Sora because of how random it was, but he liked it.

"Really?" He would sometimes put his ear to her stomach to try and hear a heart beating, which had always been strange to Kairi… especially when he kissed it. Maybe she wasn't normal for not liking it, but… it was just weird to her.

Sora helped her stand up, since she had put on a little weight from the baby. She then followed him into the kitchen. Akira was sitting at the table playing a Nintendo DS as Kosuke did his homework. Sunshine was sniffing around the kitchen for some leftover crumbs.

Kairi recently had told her kids that they were going to have a little brother or sister after Akira commented that she had _quote on quote_ been "_getting fat._" They were really excited about it. Even though they didn't know anything about pregnancy, hearing that a new baby was coming made them happy for some reason. Kairi thought they would hate it.

Luckily for Kairi, she was on maternity leave at work. She wasn't really needed anyway, since her character just died. Sora still hadn't found another satisfying job, but then again he didn't really need one at the moment. They had a lot of money.

_Not to mention that tomorrow was Kairi's thirtieth birthday…_ (**A/N**: It's somewhere around there…)

"I heard something about _progress reports_ today?" Kairi eyed her children. Kosuke pulled out his and happily showed her. Sora leaned over and looked too. Kairi saw that Akira supposedly _didn't hear them_ and was still playing the game.

"Great job, Kosuke! Akira?"

Akira grinned at them and took his out. He handed it to Sora, who stared at Akira as he opened it. Sora read down the list.

"A,A,B,A,C,D." He said aloud. "Not bad."

"Better than last time. Keep it up." Kairi told him. Akira left the room.

"Wow," Sora said, "I never did my homework."

"Really?" Kosuke asked him, finally closing his book. He was finished. "If I don't do my homework I freak out."

"He's like me." Kairi commented. "If my homework wasn't done… oh man…"

After Kosuke went upstairs, Sora came up behind Kairi and put his arms around her. He rested his head on hers.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you too…"

"When this baby comes, I want to be there for you and the baby… no more mistakes this time." He promised. He seemed to be really relaxed by lying his head on her shoulder.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to take you out. Just you and me. Got it?"

Kairi nodded, eager to find out how tomorrow would turn out.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Kairi**: Am I really thirty years old?

**Me**: I dunno… if not you're close to it.

**Sora**: She's 29!

**Me**: Shhh!


	24. Its Kairi's Birthday!

**Chapter 24 – It's Kairi's Birthday!**

It was March, and March meant happy birthday for Kairi. Her age was a secret to everyone that didn't know her. Sora woke her up early that morning, around eight thirty so they could get ready to go to the place Sora planned out. Kairi didn't know where they were going, but decided that it'd be pointless to ask.

Akira and Kosuke were dropped off at Namine's house so Sora and Kairi could spend the day together. Already she was excited, even if she did have a little extra weight on her belly. Kairi got into the passenger's seat and waved goodbye to the twins and Namine.

"Ready to go?" Sora started the car and pulled out of the driveway. He looked a little dressed up today in his orange, buttoned-up shirt and baggy black pants that she had never seen him wear in his life. Kairi wore a nice, pink maternity shirt and black, slip-on pants. She also put on sandals that day so her feet wouldn't be killed in high heels.

They went to a side of Twilight Town that Kairi had never been to before. It seemed like a more rural side of town that she didn't even know existed. There was also a river that surrounded this countryside, and the entire town. People could take two-hour cruise ships around this river and see a more beautiful side of Twilight Town. Kairi came to find out that they were heading towards the cruise ship.

"Sora, you _know_ I'm pregnant…" She said with uncertainty.

"I know. That's why I brought a bucket." He pointed to the back of the car. Kairi hit him playfully and laughed.

"You idiot." She joked. Sora parked the car. He went around to the other side to help Kairi get out, even though she could do it just fine. They locked hands and headed towards the pier.

The water was simply beautiful. The sun gave the dazzling sparkly tint to it, which made this feel a lot more romantic. But that was only the beginning…

Kairi hoped she didn't get seasick and ruin this day, but the chances were a little high. However, it was nice to enjoy some fresh air with the one guy she loved the most. They leaned over the edge of the ship and stared out into the river. It didn't exactly match the ocean back on Destiny Islands, but it was close enough.

"Wow… this is great…" Kairi said, looking off into the water dreamily. She was glad Sora was with her, of course, especially since he had to miss her birthday last year because of a tournament game. When he came home he made up for it, but it still wasn't the same.

"You know, it almost puts you into a trance of some sort." Sora mentioned.

"Yeah… I know…" She rested her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around her waist. Personally Kairi thought that this would be a lot more romantic at nighttime, but she figured she'd be too tired by then. Sora knew her pretty well.

The cruise lasted for about two hours as predicted, and then it was over by noon. Sora seemed to have a lot more planned than just that though. He opened the car door for her and helped her get into her seat. Kairi took a huge breath when she sat down, but eventually returned back to normal.

"You need to tell me if you feel the least bit queasy, okay?" Sora told her. Kairi nodded. The sun did make her feel a little dizzy, but that was over now. Sora drove down to a really expensive restaurant on the other side of town.

"Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you still can't have fun, right?" They walked into the restaurant. Sora had reserved a special, private table in the back just for them. He knew that Kairi loved buffets, and that's what this restaurant had as an alternative to the main menu. Kairi wasn't sure about what to eat, so she just got some vegetables and steak. Sora's plate was full.

"You don't mind, right?" Kairi compared her plate to his. Sora shook his head and finished what he was chewing.

"Not at all. I understand completely." He grinned and looked at his watch. Were they on some kind of schedule?

So far the day was going great. Her and Sora hadn't spent time like this in a long time, even if it was her birthday. She enjoyed every moment of it.

The baby kicked.

Well, almost every moment.

Apparently they were on a schedule, because Sora suddenly began eating a little quicker. Kairi could smell the sweet, chocolaty ice cream on the other side of the room just begging her to eat it, but she knew should probably shouldn't. They left the restaurant about ten minutes later after Sora went to the bathroom and headed home.

"Um, don't we need to pick up the twins?" Kairi asked as they passed Namine's house. Sora shook his head and kept driving. She gave him a strange look. They arrived home.

He walked her up to the door and unlocked it. Kairi stepped inside. It was completely dark. Even the windows were covered up. Something wasn't right…

"SURPRISE!"

The lights came on and the TV room was filled with people. Among these were Namine, Roxas, Orett, her boyfriend, the twins, and even Riku and Selphie. Wait, how did _they_ get here? Kairi was about to have a heart attack.

"Happy birthday, Kairi!" They all chanted.

"Wow…" She was amazed. No wonder Sora was in such a hurry throughout the day.

"Hey Kairi!" Selphie hugged her and handed her a present.

"How did you guys get here?"

"Sora called us." Riku answered. Kairi looked at Sora.

"Aww, thank you!" She kissed him. Kairi was so happy. She had all her friends and family here that she could possibly want. Akira and Kosuke came up to her and hugged her at the same time.

"Mom, there's something we need to show you!" They said in unison as they eyed Sora. Sora snapped back to reality.

"Right!" He said, escorting Kairi into the kitchen. "Come on." Everyone followed like a school of fish. Sora covered Kairi's eyes and opened the back door.

"Ready… open!" He let go. Kairi gasped.

A BMW Z4 was parked in the backyard. She was about to go insane. Kairi had wanted one of these for who knows how long. She pounced on Sora, hugging him tightly. Kairi started crying happily. Everyone clapped.

"Oh my goodness! Thank you so much!" She cried. This was the best birthday Kairi's had in a long time. It wasn't over yet, either.

"Mom, you have to see _our_ present!" Akira and Kosuke grabbed both of her hands and pulled her back into the TV room. They made her sit down on the couch and ran out of the room. Sora and Kairi exchanged weird looks. The twins came back carrying a rectangular box, like one to fit clothes in.

"Here." They gave it to her. Kairi wiped her tears away and began to peel the tape off. Riku was getting this on camera.

She pulled out a beautiful, red kimono with flower designs all over it. It was so pretty she felt like crying again. Selphie took a few pictures of her and the twins hugging.

"Wow, I don't know how to thank you guys enough…" Kairi sniffled.

"You don't have to thank us for being a year older." Sora smiled.

"It only means you're one year closer to death." Riku joked. Kairi tried hitting him but missed. They all laughed.

"Happy birthday, babe." Sora kissed her and wrapped his arms around her. This was _definitely_ the best birthday ever.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Yay! Chapter 24! Which I don't know who's reading this since KH2 COMES OUT TODAY! Ahem… but yeah, if you are, review!


	25. Crash

**A/N**: Well, I decided to take a little break from my 30 something hour playing time on KH2 to write another chapter! (Actually my dad told me to stop playing…) This is what I do over Spring Break!

**Chapter 25 – Crash**

"Oh, man…" Kairi lifted herself up carefully with the help of the table edge. The last few months of nauseating and such were really… how would she put it, annoying? At least she knew she wasn't having twins or triplets. Her and Sora went to the doctor the month before. He predicted for it to be a girl.

"A girl, eh?" Sora patted Kairi on the back. "That'll be new."

Now was the time they wanted to use the guest room that had been idle for years. Sora and the twins helped move things into the garage and now it was free. Kairi wanted to use one of the old cribs to save on money. Sora set that up too. Kairi felt like she couldn't really do much to help, but Sora wouldn't ever let her anyway. She guessed it was fair.

"Man, the radio station wants to interview me today…" Sora whined.

"Huh? But I thought—"

"They just want to ask a few questions… like why I quit and such. I'll just tell them the same things I told my team, and I should be free to go." He grinned at her.

"How would pink curtains look in here?" Kairi asked, examining the window.

"Pink? Hmmm…" Sora looked at it too. "Sure!" Akira and Kosuke came into the room carrying some bags.

"We have to get to rehearsal, mom!" They said.

"I'll take ya." Sora said, but then stopped. "Wait, I can't…" He turned to Kairi.

"I'll do it." Kairi escorted the twins out of the room. Before Sora could refuse, she spoke again.

"I may be pregnant, but I'm not helpless." She smiled. "I'll see you later."

"Okay, call me if you need me." Kairi nodded and walked out.

Akira and Kosuke loaded the car. Kairi hadn't driven in a couple weeks, but it wasn't like she had forgotten how to do it altogether. She got in and closed the door.

"Mom, where do babies come from?" Akira asked the famous question.

"Do you really want to know?" She didn't want to talk to them about this. Kairi sighed and continued to drive. She drove past a small arena where some kids were practicing with each other. Akira and Kosuke gazed at them, wishing to be in their place.

"Every year they have this tournament called _The Struggle_!" Akira said.

"Yeah, I so wish I could participate… but it's only ages fourteen and up…" Kosuke sighed. Kairi was glad they got off of the whole "where do babies come from" subject. They arrived at the school safely.

"How long is rehearsal?" Kairi decided she would stay. Luckily she brought a book.

"An hour." They went inside.

Kairi took a seat in the audience. The twins were in some play she had never heard of. Kairi remembered back when she was in Drama Club. Those days sucked…

- - -

Sora entered the studio. A man sitting at a table was putting another song on the radio when he walked in. He wore sunglasses and had long black hair that was tied into a ponytail. He greeted Sora and took off his headphones.

"Yello, Sora. Please, take a seat. I'm Mr. Nachi." He pulled out a chair.

"Hiya. It's nice to meet you."

Mr. Nachi eyed him for a while. The song went off and he was back on the air.

"Quick, put those headphones on!" He ordered. Sora did so.

"Hello, folks. What a nice evening this is. I hope you're having just as much fun as I am. I am here with Sora Kiyamoto, former Blitzball player for the Twilight Town Hornets. I bet its been _itching_ in you to know just _why_ this star player quit a couple months ago, right? Well you're going to find out right now!"

Sora thought it would never end.

"So Sora, why _did_ you quit the team?"

"Well, my wife, that I love very much, is pregnant. She doesn't think I'm around enough, and I agree. Also, my sons mean everything to me as well, and I'd like to have a normal, father-son relationship with them…" he paused. "Unlike my stepfather."

"Ooh, got a little past issue, eh? We're not going to get into that, but what are your plans for the future?" He asked.

"Hmm, I guess I'll stay home for about a year or two, and then I'll get back out there and find a job. Is that wrong?" Sora stared at the ceiling. He hadn't really thought about it.

- - -

Kairi closed the book she was reading. Rehearsal was over, and it was time to go home. The twins seemed exhausted for some reason. Kairi only paid attention at their parts, so she wasn't sure what went on backstage. They got back into the car.

Nighttime fell. They all fastened their seat belts and drove off. It must've rained during rehearsal, because the ground was all wet. Kairi yawned. It seemed like a peaceful night. She stopped at a red light.

"I can't believe we only have two weeks left to rehearse!" Akira pouted.

"I know!" Said Kosuke. "Nobody is even doing anything!"

"I know how _that_ is." Kairi said, sounding bored. She yawned again. Kairi could feel herself getting a little dizzy.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Kosuke noticed her condition.

"Fine, just fine."

"Mom, cars are honking at us…" Akira pointed out.

"Oh!" The light must've turned green minutes ago. She took a turn. Kairi knew she should stop, but they were almost home. She could make it.

That was it. She just had to pull over. However, there wasn't anywhere _to_ do it. The roads all said "no parking" and such. Kairi's legs started shaking.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Kosuke asked, scared.

"I'll make it, just hold on…" She knew she couldn't go on. Kairi was going to have to break a few rules.

But breaking the rules had consequences.

With her vision blurred, she tried to pull over on the side of the road. However, there was a car coming the other way. She desperately tried to get there before it clashed into them, but she didn't quite make it. The car honked and flew sideways, hitting the back of Kairi's. They all screamed.

They ended up in the grass, a definite no-parking zone. Police surrounded the area along with ambulances incase anybody was wounded. Luckily, nobody was hurt…

_"THAT WAS SO STUPID!"_ Kairi thought to herself. She knew she never would've done something like that if she weren't so dizzy… and felt sick…

"Is everybody okay?" Akira and Kosuke were panicking in the back seat. Kairi gasped and tried to get out of the car. A policeman came to them.

"Oh my goodness… it was an accide—" Kairi fell over, but the policeman caught her. Akira and Kosuke rushed to her aid.

"What are you doing getting behind the wheel with the condition that you're in?" The policeman helped her regain balance. "Are these your children?" 

"Yes… sir…" She turned to them and hugged them. "I'm so sorry!"

"We were scared to death!" They said.

"Is there anyone we can call… like a husband?" The policeman asked. Kairi reached into her purse for her cell phone, but realized she had left it at home. The policeman gave her one.

Kairi wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Sora about this just yet, but knew he would find out eventually. She dialed his cell phone number.

"Um, hello?" There was a little static.

"Sora? It's me, Kairi… uh…"

"Oh, hey! What's the matter?"

"Come to…" She looked around.

"This is Main Street." 

"Main street." She told him.

"What's going on? Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, just hurry!"

Luckily, Sora was walking out of the radio station by then. He broke into a run and got into his car. He was there in about five minutes.

"Oh my God! What happened?" Sora rushed over to them. Kairi gave him an anxious look, but then looked away in shame.

"We got in a car wreck!" Kosuke told him.

"It was… kinda cool…" Akira said aloud. "Let's do it again!"

"NO!" Everyone said in unison.

"Kairi… what were you thinking?" Sora asked worriedly, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't know… I did something stupid…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N**: Dang straight she did. Wow, that was a lengthy chapter!


	26. Kids and Scary Movies

**Chapter 26 – Kids and Scary Movies**

"You got a write up?" Sora gasped. Akira tried to sneak upstairs, but obviously it wouldn't work. 

"What the--, for _whispering_? Psh…" Sora threw down the paper and shrugged. "Schools these days…"

"I know, they're so stupid." Akira agreed.

"What's going on?" Kairi asked when she came into the room. Sora pointed to the paper.

"Nothing important. Akira got a _write up_ for _whispering_. How ridiculous is that?" Kairi took the paper. She raised an eyebrow.

"He was _whispering_ during a _test_, Sora." She glared over at Akira, who gave her a guilty smile. Kairi signed it and gave it back to him, and then sat next to Sora. He lured her closer to him, putting his arm around her. Akira looked at them disgustingly and went upstairs.

"Was that the first write up he got all year?" Asked Sora.

"I think so. Besides, the year's almost over for them, so it doesn't really matter to me. Don't they only have about a week and a half left?" Sora rested his head on Kairi's. Kosuke came into the room carrying a bunch of textbooks.

"I didn't know third graders had that many books." Kairi said.

Kosuke didn't seem to hear them and tried to walk up the stairs with them. Sora got up to help him, leaving Kairi on the couch. She went into the bathroom to weigh herself on the scale.

"148… not too bad…" Kairi remembered that when she was pregnant with the twins, she weighed a lot more than that around this time. She hadn't seen her practitioner in a while and knew she should go, but really didn't feel like getting in a car.

Lately Kairi had been thinking about _what_ to name her newborn. It took her forever to name Akira and Kosuke, but for her to name a girl would probably take longer. For some reason Kairi had always wanted either two boys or one boy and one girl. She had never expected to have more than two kids.

She also wondered what the twins would be like around their baby sister. There _was_ a big age difference between them, so she wasn't sure if they were going to bother with each other much. Kairi didn't know if that was good or bad.

"Man, I swear, that boy studies too much." Sora sighed, jumping onto the bed and turning on the TV. Kairi got into bed as well, cuddling with him.

"You can never study _too much_, can you?"

"It would _kill_ me." Sora admitted, flipping through channels. "Hey, does he look familiar to you?"

Kairi looked at the TV screen. A guy with blonde hair and uneven shorts was being interviewed. Her eyes widened.

"Isn't that Tidus?" She asked. Sora squinted his eyes.

"Yeah! It is! Then… is that girl next to him his wife or something?"

"I hope not, that's Yuna! One of my favorite singers! You don't remember her?" Kairi sat up.

"Oh yeah, is that the one that came to visit you in the hospital a long time ago?" She nodded in excitement. Yuna's most recent song was "Rest," which was made about five years ago. She hasn't heard anything about Yuna since. 

_"We're married,"_ Yuna gave the interviewer a warm smile. Her hair was a darker brown with blonde highlights in it, and she was wearing it in a ponytail. She didn't have very much makeup on, surprisingly, and seemed to have gotten a little skinnier. 

"Married? Ha!" Sora laughed, thinking of how mean the Tidus he used to know was. They just didn't seem to match. It went to commercials. He turned off the TV.

- - -

The next day, Akira's friend Jason came over. Personally, Kairi couldn't stand him. He always had something smart to say or just ignored her completely. However, she still let him hang out with her son, even though she didn't really like it. Kairi knew that if her mother chose her friends for her, she never would've survived. Akira and Kosuke knew what would happen if they got into any kind of trouble.

Kairi and Sora had set down the rules in a family discussion last year. It was never too early to teach the kids, Kairi believed. They came to an agreement, made things a little fairer through compromise and it worked out. Akira and Kosuke must always let them know where they were going, what they were doing and establish a time to be home.

"Hello, Mrs. K, guess what?" Jason said eagerly.

"Yes, Jason?" Kairi tried to sound polite.

"My mom just bought _me_ a BB gun!"

"Well don't bring it here." Kairi said.

"Mom, can I go shoot the BB gun with Jason?" Akira begged. She glared at him.

"No, you may not."

"But _mom_! It's so _cool_!" 

"I don't care about what's _cool_, I said _no_." She said for the last time. Akira whined and walked off with Jason back upstairs. Sora entered the room just as they were leaving. 

"Akira wants to shoot things with a BB gun." Kairi told him.

"Oh Hell no," Sora answered instantly.

"Exactly." Kairi set her hand on her stomach.

"So, where's Kosuke?" Sora asked.

"He went over to Ryu's house." Kairi replied, standing up. She began to ponder for a moment. "Hey, Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we're too soft or too strict?"

Sora gave her a blank stare for a while before saying anything. "It's not like they're _bad_ kids or anything… I think our parenting controls are just fine."

"Do you think it's a good idea for Akira to have all these troublesome friends?"

Sora came over to her and kissed her, staring into her eyes. "We trust our kids, remember? We told them, first time they screw up like that, they can't hang out with that person anymore. They understood, okay?" He said softly. Kairi nodded.

"But the thing with Jason is…" She lowered her voice to a whisper, "he gets temper tantrums all the time and bosses people around a lot…"

"If Akira begins to act that way, then we'll just have to show him who's boss. Like I said, they're not bad kids." He saw her hand on her stomach. "And I'm sure this one will be an angel."

Kairi smiled and kissed him again, but this time a little longer. Ever since Sora had quit his job, things _have_ gotten better for everyone. However, she still wasn't sure how Sora really felt about it. He always said it was fine and that he wanted to make their family stronger, but what did _he_ want? Kairi had to find a way to get it out of him somehow…

It was obviously difficult for Kairi to let some things go. He quit months ago, and seemed to have forgotten about it, although he didn't. Sora didn't like talking about things much nowadays, he usually just kept it to himself. This could be a really bad step for their marriage…

Kairi definitely didn't want to end up like Namine and Roxas. They fought pretty much everyday, even though on the outside when they came to visit and such, they seemed like a really happy couple. Sometimes Roxas would slam the door and leave for a while, never even letting anyone know where he was. Kairi felt sorry for Namine and sometimes thought she should leave him, but what would that do to their daughter?

That night after the twins went to bed, Kairi and Sora stayed up to watch a movie. Kairi loved to watch scary movies with Sora next to her, so she could have someone to calm her down when she jumped with fright. 

"Getting scared, Kairi?" Sora teased. Kairi punched him in the arm lightly and shook her head. She could've sworn that Sora jumped a few times during the movie, giving her a perfect reason to tease him back. They went to bed right after it.

- - - - - - - 

**A/N**: Gah, school has started again… I hate it. I have thirty something days left… in other news, I beat KH2! Some of you already knew that but yeah… that's all!


	27. Talking with Sora

**Chapter 27 – Talking to Sora**

_Flashback_

"So I guess everyone was really nice to you today, huh?"

_Kairi nodded. "Yeah. I was surprised they actually noticed I was gone." She shrugged._

"_Of course they did. In Spanish class, people were asking me where you were." Kairi looked up at him. "Really? That's weird." There was a prolonged silence._

"_So… why are you so shy?" Sora wasn't looking at her._

"_I don't know." Kairi responded. "I just am."_

"_I remember when I used to be shy. It was back in Elementary and Middle school." Kairi was shocked. Sora was shy?_

"_I didn't think I fit in with the other kids. Of course, Riku was my only friend back then. Tidus and I were acquaintances. Then High School came around… and everyone changed… including me."_

End of Flashback

It was starting to bug Kairi more and more that she didn't know enough about her own husband. It was like there was a huge gap between them. She had explained her medical problems to him before they got married and got nothing in return. Why was it so difficult for Sora to tell her things? Did he not trust her or something? She knew one thing—today she was going to confront him about it.

Sora was washing dishes in the kitchen when Kairi woke up. The kids were off at school, and they were the only two in the house. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back.

"Hey, babe." He said, drying his hands. Sora placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled. He kissed her forehead and walked into the TV room, taking a seat on the couch. All Sora did nowadays was watch TV. However, that didn't stop Kairi from asking him anything.

"So, how are you?" Kairi sat down next to him, taking his hand in hers.

"I'm fine, you?"

"I'm all right." She paused and stared at the floor.

"Something wrong?" Sora asked her.

"Well…" Here it came. "Sora?"

"Yeah, babe?"

This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Has Blitzball always been the main thing you've wanted to do?" Sora didn't answer her at first. He inhaled deeply, as if he was really thinking about it.

"Look, I only want what's _best_ for us." 

"Yeah, but…" She was starting to get moody. "I just think I was selfish."

"No, you weren't… please don't cry…" Now that Sora said that, it only made things worse.

"I can't help it…" Kairi sobbed. "I just feel like I've taken away the one thing you loved to do…"

"Kairi, if there's anything I love, it's this family. Look, I had a rough life before I met you, and I don't want to put you through it, or the twins."

"What did your stepfather do?" She asked, doubting he would tell her.

Sure enough, Sora did remain quiet for a few moments. He sighed and leaned over, staring at the floor. Kairi rubbed his back gently.

"Well, he yelled at my brother and I all the time… can we talk about something else?"

"You've never told anyone this, have you?" Kairi asked. Sora shook his head. "What did he yell at you about?"

"Stupid things." Sora answered quickly. "Like why I got a B on my report card, or why I came home five minutes late. I don't think there was one day when he was around where he wasn't blaming me for something. However, this is all in the past, so I don't really care about it anymore. I bet he's dead." Sora said coldly.

"What about your mother? Does she even know where you are right now?"

"Kairi, she doesn't even know I'm married, better yet, that I have children. I'd like to keep it that way."

"But… why?" Kairi knew she was annoying him, but she really wanted to help him.

"Why do you ask so many questions?" He was getting irritated. Kairi gulped and tried to stay strong. She knew something like this would happen.

"I'm sorry, I just think it's sad that I've been with you for about thirteen years or more and I barely know anything about you."

Sora gave her a long stare. She did have a point.

"Sorry, it just frustrates me when I think about the past."

"Sora, you've always seemed so happy, especially when you were around me. You may have lied to me once or twice, but… well, I can't say you had a good reason, but we have always found a way to work around it. What makes you think this time around is any different? I want to help you, not hurt you."

"But Kairi, the past is the past. I've let go of it."

"Are you sure?" She eyed him. Sora looked away.

"If I can't get rid of the past, then there's no way I can live in the present. If I can't live in the present, than I definitely can't create a better future. That's what I believe."

"But Sora, you can't _get rid_ of your past… it's a part of your life."

"A part of my life I'd rather forget, thank you."

"Now you're talking nonsense."

"You know," Sora added, "Just once I would like to just get away from everything and just relax… no offense…"

"None taken. I know what you mean." Kairi leaned against the couch. She was surprised at how well this was going; she had expected it to be much worse. One thing Kairi was proud of was how understanding she could be at times.

"My real father used to say… _'if anything ever happens to me, don't worry. I'll be there anyway.'_ And then he just… died." Said Sora, shrugging.

"I'm sorry…" Kairi hugged him. "I think you told me something about that before." 

"I probably told you that he died."

"Yeah, that's it."

"I mean," Sora looked up at the ceiling. "When he was around, I was happy. He was so awesome. But then my mother had to marry a bastard and my life changed completely. So yes, I _did_ used to be happy."

"What about now? Are you happy now?" Kairi asked uncertainly. Sora stared into her eyes and smiled.

"Of course I am. I love you, Kairi." He said softly. Kairi grinned.

"I love you too." She leaned over and kissed him. Having this conversation with Sora felt pretty good, since he has hidden away all these years. She figured one thing—maybe they were going to become even closer now.

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**A/N**: Yay, 27! I have about three or four chapters left of this story. I _might_ take a break from the I Heart You series after that and work on my other stories… but I don't know. I'll probably end up starting I Heart You III like two or three days after I finish this one. XD Who knows.


	28. Problems

**Chapter 28 – Problems**

Days seemed to go by slower and slower for Kairi. The long awaited birth of the newborn child was getting closer. Kairi didn't want to make the mistake of buying _everything_ that's meant for a girl and end up getting a boy, so she decided to leave that alone for a while.

Akira and Kosuke's school year was over, so now they were in and out of the house constantly. Usually during the summer, Kairi didn't have very much time to herself, which wasn't really too good, especially since she was eight and a half months pregnant. She's felt a little sick the past few days.

The next day, Anna came over to baby-sit while Sora and Kairi went to the grocery store. The twins complained but knew they weren't going to win so they shut up. At the store, Kairi saw so much junk food that she wanted to get, but she didn't. Sora did buy some ice cream though.

Since the birth was four weeks or less away, Kairi was getting a little scared. What if Sora wasn't around when she was ready to give birth? She knew it probably wasn't anything to worry about, because Sora has stayed home since he stopped playing Blitzball, but she was pessimistic. She was lucky enough to not have a miscarriage.

"Corn dogs!" Kairi pointed. Sora reached in, got a big box of them and put them in the cart. Kairi had forgotten which baby food the twins loved so much. She was going to think about that later.

"Whoa," She put her hand on her stomach. The baby was moving around some, which always scared her. Sora was thinking something else, but was relieved to find out that that was all it was. They left the grocery store with tons of bags.

"You don't have to carry anything inside, babe. I got it." Sora said as he took a few bags out of the car.

"But I want to help…"

"No, just go inside." She decided to listen to him. Akira and Kosuke came running out of the house. Sora made them carry some bags in.

"Mom! Guess what!" The twins exclaimed, jumping all around her. Kairi set her purse on the table. She lost her balance a little, but luckily the counter was there to catch her.

"What?"

"Anna got so angry at us she left!" Akira blurted out proudly. Kairi's eyes widened. Sora heard this and came into the kitchen.

"Whoa, what happened now?" Sora questioned suspiciously, giving Akira and Kosuke a defiant stare.

"Um… what he _meant _to say was… Anna left." Kosuke tried to cover up, but it didn't work.

"And why did she leave?" Kairi asked, reaching for the phone so she could call Anna and figure all of this out.

"He did it." They pointed at each other. Once they realized it wouldn't get anywhere, they rushed up to their room.

"Get back here!" Sora yelled. He heard them stop at the top of the stairs and then walk back down slowly with their heads down in shame. Kairi and Sora crossed their arms. Sora cleared his throat.

"I want to know why Anna left, now _tell me_." Sora demanded.

"Well… uh…" Kosuke started.

"You see, we were being the perfect angels we are, right?" Akira interrupted. Kairi and Sora exchanged non-believing looks. "And then she told us to go to bed. It was only eight-thirty… during summer!"

"And you disagreed to go to bed, didn't you?" Kairi asked.

"Well, no. We said we'd go to bed _at 9:30_." Akira said smartly. "But then she got mad at us."

"She grabbed my arm!" Kosuke yelled.

"Okay, this is just nonsense." Sora said. "Go to bed."

"She hit me!" Akira tried to say, but was shooed upstairs. Sora came back into the kitchen rubbing his forehead. He seemed to be a little tired. Kairi had an anxious look on her face.

"What if they're telling the truth? Usually Kosuke likes Anna." Kairi said quietly, hoping to get some agreement from Sora.

"Well if they are, let's take care of it tomorrow, okay? I think I'm going to go to bed." He kissed her. "I love you."

He went into the bedroom, leaving her in the kitchen. Kairi never thought Anna would do such a thing, but then again, it's a common case with babysitters. She decided to go talk with Akira and Kosuke more.

Kairi opened the door quietly and knocked. The twins automatically pretended to be asleep, but she knew they weren't. She sat in the desk chair.

"Akira? Kosuke?" She whispered. They turned over and looked at her.

"So what happened? And please don't lie to me." She told them.

"Well, she hit Akira and nearly twisted my arm." Kosuke explained.

"That hurt." Akira rubbed his shoulder.

"Oh my goodness…" Maybe they _were_ telling the truth. Before she could respond, the phone rang. Kairi picked it up after the first ring.

"Namine? Are you okay?" She ignored the twin's bewildered looks. It _was_ Namine, and she was crying. They only reason she'd ever call this late would be because of a problem, so there was definitely something wrong.

"Kairi…" She sniffled, "He just… walked out on me… he's gone…"

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**A/N**: OMG, I was SO PISSED. Right before I was about to put this chapter up, the internet decides to stop working for a couple minutes. Yes, I can be impatient… but would _you _be angry if YOU had been working on this for an hour and then it wouldn't be able to go up? Okay, I feel better now. XD


	29. It's Time!

**A/N**: Well, my Kairi costume is finished, and this story is nearing its end. (if you want to see it, its on my Myspace on my profile Anyway, if I don't think of something else, the next chapter will be the last one. Also in the last chapter I plan to put a preview of I Heart You III, so don't get confused. :D 

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**Chapter 29 – It's Time!**

Kairi hung up the phone and rushed out of the room. The twins debated on whether to follow or not, but decided it would be best for them to stay in bed. Kairi didn't care if she was pregnant or not, she was going to get over to Namine's house somehow. She grabbed the keys out of her purse and opened the door as quickly and quietly as she could so Sora wouldn't hear her leaving. 

She stepped into the car and put on her seatbelt. Kairi's back was hurting a little, but she ignored the pain. Her mind was set on her best friend, Namine. She put the keys into the ignition and started the car. Luckily, Sora never woke up.

Kairi drove carefully, reminding herself of what happened last time she drove when she was pregnant. Namine wasn't too far away either, but Kairi didn't have the energy to walk all the way to her house. She pulled into Namine's driveway and knocked on her door frantically.

"Oh thank goodness you're here…" Namine said once she entered the dark house. She could tell that Namine had been crying a lot, which made her really sensitive. They took a seat on the couch.

"I got here as fast as I could." Kairi took some deep breaths. She wasn't feeling too well…

"You shouldn't have… but thanks anyway…" Namine sniffled. Kairi rubbed her back and tried comforting her.

"So… what happened?" She asked.

"Well, him and I had another fight." Namine wiped a tear that was rolling down her cheek. "He came home late again, and I was sick of it. Lately I've been suspecting if he was cheating on me or not, but I didn't bring it up much. However, I did tonight, and he got pissed. He just walked out…"

"Where's Haruka?"

"She's asleep, I hope." Namine said. She looked up at Kairi. "Does Sora know you're here?"

Kairi shook her head nervously. Would Sora be angry with her? No, he should understand…

"Why do you think he's cheating on you?" Kairi asked.

"He comes home late almost every night. He gets off work at eight o clock and doesn't get here until ten or so. Don't you think that's a little weird?" Kairi agreed on one end, but on the other, she knew how Roxas liked to wander off. But when it happened too often, that was a problem.

"Sora never cheated on me…" Kairi said a little quieter than her normal tone.

"He's a good guy. Roxas is just…" She growled. "He can be a pain sometimes." 

Kairi's backaches were coming back, and now she really didn't feel too well. Namine noticed this time.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" Her eyes had anxious written all over them. Kairi took some deep breaths. She couldn't lie. Maybe she was just feeling a little sick and needed to throw up. No, this time it was different…

"Namine… my water just broke!" (**A/N**: That sounds kinda funny)

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Namine woke up Haruka and ordered for her to get in the back seat with Kairi. Kairi was trying to breathe and stay calm at the same time, but it wasn't working. It seems like it was hurting everywhere. Namine took her cell phone out and called Kairi's house, hoping Sora would answer. 

"Hello?" Kosuke picked up the phone, still a little tired.

"Kosuke?" Namine took a guess. He answered yes and then she spoke again. She was really nervous and was about to freak out as she drove. "Kosuke, this is Miss Namine. I want you to wake up your father and tell him to get down to the hospital immed—" Kairi screamed. "Get to the hospital NOW!" Namine hung up. 

Kosuke woke Akira up and rushed downstairs, busting his parent's bedroom door open. He shook Sora a few times.

"What…" Sora rolled over.

"Dad! Wake up! Now!" Kosuke yelled. Sora's eyes opened quickly as he sat up.

"Did you have another nightmare? Well, it's not real, go back to sleep." He fell over again.

"No, dad! Miss Namine wants us at the hospital right now!"

Sora noticed that Kairi wasn't next to him and rose up immediately. "Whoa, what's going on?"

"I don't know, but I think I heard mom screaming in the background! Come on!"

"Oh shit!" Sora reached for his shoes. Right before he headed out the door, he said to Kosuke, "Never repeat that. Let's hurry! Get your brother!"

Akira had fallen back asleep. Sora yelled his name from the bottom of the stairs, trying to rush. He was scared beyond belief. Kosuke ran upstairs and literally pulled Akira out of his bed, making him land on the floor. 

"Ow! What'd you do that for?"

"No time! Mom's at the hospital, come on!" Akira followed Kosuke down the stairs. Sora was already in the car.

"Hurry up!" He demanded. They ran and got into the back seat, almost forgetting to fasten their seatbelts. Sora speeded out of the driveway and onto the street.

- - -

"Please! Get her to the delivery room!" Namine pleaded, trying to help Kairi walk inside the hospital since she obviously couldn't carry her. A nurse rushed to get her a wheelchair and helped her sit down. Kairi screamed again. She wanted to cry from how much it was hurting.

_"I hate this… I hate this, I HATE THIS!"_ Kairi repeated over and over in her head. Sora was on his way and he'd be there any minute. She needed him…

Namine and Haruka waited outside as nurses and doctors hurried in and out of the room that Kairi was giving birth. Namine wanted to be in there, but they wouldn't let her because she wasn't _family_. How messed up was that? She took Haruka to the front of the hospital and waited for Sora to arrive.

- - -

"DAMN TRAFFIC!" Sora yelled, honking a few times. Akira covered his mouth to try and hold back from laughing. He had never heard his father curse like this before. Kosuke, on the other hand was a little more serious about it.

They finally got to the hospital. Sora slammed the door and ran to the entrance, looking back once to tell the twins to hurry. Namine saw him coming.

"Sora! Kairi's down the hall in the last room to your left!" He nodded and sprinted down the hall, looking in the room before he entered. He heard Kairi's cries and opened the door right away. Some nurses tried to stop him.

"Wait, I'm her husband!" They moved out of his way. Sora pulled up a chair and sat next to Kairi's bed. She was taking deep breaths. Sora grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly. He took the rag that was next to the bed and put it over her forehead. She was really scared.

"Kairi… I'm here for you…"

Akira and Kosuke stayed with Namine. Sora had instructed them to do so. They sat right outside of the delivery room, hearing their mother's cries every now and then. Time passed by for them like sheep attempting to jump over an electric fence. Haruka was about to fall asleep again.

Hours and hours went by, and it wasn't until two AM when the cries stopped. Kosuke was halfway asleep, but Akira was wide-awake. Namine was too busy biting her nails out of impatience to sleep. A nurse came outside.

"You all may come in now." She smiled. Akira shook Kosuke and rushed into the room, followed by Namine holding Haruka.

"Where's the baby?" The twins said at the same time as they stood next to Sora. Kairi's eyes were closed and she was resting for a little bit.

"Just be patient…" Sora was shaking a little. Namine came up to them with Haruka, who was now awake.

"You know, it seems like forever when you're in here…" Sora said to Namine.

"I know… just imagine if _you_ were in that position…" Sora shuddered at the thought.

"Man, if that's what its like to have a baby, then I'm _never_ getting pregnant." Akira crossed his arms. They all stared at him strangely. Sora let out a small laugh.

"Don't worry, you won't ever get pregnant." They all laughed.

"You are such an idiot." Kosuke said to his brother. Kairi's eyes opened.

"Kairi! Are you all right?" Sora asked in a soft, but worried tone. She blinked a few times and nodded, and then took a big sigh.

The nurse came over to them carrying the baby girl in her arms. "Five pounds and six ounces. She had a little trouble breathing at first, but don't worry, everything's fine. What a beautiful child…" She handed the baby to Kairi. Kairi wanted to cry. She _was_ beautiful. The baby started to cry. Namine took out her cell phone and took tons of pictures.

"What are we going to name her?" Akira asked. Sora and Kairi exchanged blank looks. Kairi still hadn't chosen a name for her, but then again, who can decide before the baby is born anyway?

It took everyone a while to come up with names, and whenever they would say one, Kairi would shake her head with disapproval. She wanted the perfect name.

"How about…" Sora said aloud, "Kiyori?" 

It was strange. Kairi had thought about that name herself, and really liked it. After a long hesitation, she finally answered.

"Kiyori it is."

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**A/N**: Premature baby! I was one too! W00t! Yup, that was a long chapter… hmm, well, the last chapter will be finished soon!


	30. Two Months Have Gone By?

**Chapter 30 – Two Months Have Gone By?**

Sora decided to wake up early that morning to get the kids up and ready for their first day of the fourth grade. Neither of them were excited to go, which was normal. Sora went to the room down the hall where Kiyori, their first and only daughter was asleep. He closed the door quietly and made one more trip over to the twin's room, then went downstairs.

"I can't believe this…" Akira tried to fall asleep at the table. Even Kosuke was a little out of it, when usually he would be able to get ready without any problem.

"Another school year!" Sora cheered. The twins groaned as they reached for their bowls and poured some cereal into them.

"Take it for granted." Sora told them. Akira and Kosuke looked at him strangely. He knew they wouldn't understand what he meant, but still managed to keep a smile on his face. Sora never cared for school, but he didn't want his kids to become like he was.

Kairi heard commotion in the kitchen and rolled over. She could not sleep with noise, so she just got out of bed. Akira and Kosuke were walking out the door carrying their backpacks just as she came out of the room.

"Wow," Kairi was amazed that Sora was able to get them out the door on time. Usually she would have to do that. He kissed her and they both waved to the twins who got onto the bus.

"I made you some hot chocolate." Sora said as he led her into the kitchen. He was being so sweet.

"Thank you." She sipped a little bit of it, since it was still really hot. Sora stared at her. Feeling a little nervous, she just had to ask.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just admiring how beautiful you are."

"Oh stop it." She laughed.

"Why? You are." Sora said honestly.

"I guess there's no point in arguing…" She sighed and sat at the table. Kairi really wanted to check on Kiyori, but Sora told her that he already did so she just stayed there. He hadn't been _this_ sweet in a long time.

"I think I'm going to start looking for a real job." Sora told her, taking a seat on the other side of the table. Kairi eyed him for a while, hoping that he would say something else, but he didn't.

"What do you think you're going to do?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. I'll find something."

"I hope you do."

"I will." Sora paused and stretched. "Can you believe it, Kairi?"

"Huh?" She looked at him.

"Akira and Kosuke are growing up so fast… and before we know it, Kiyori will be the age they are now." Sora sighed. "When I quit being a star player and started being a father, I realized that I've missed many things over the years… and I regret it…"

"So I guess it was a good thing that you quit, then?" Kairi asked. She had gotten over the fact that he stopped playing Blitzball because she finally started to believe that he was at peace with it.

"Like I said before and I will continue to repeat it, my family is the most important thing… not some Blitzball tournament. You guys are… the only family I've ever really felt like I had…"

Hearing Sora say this gave Kairi mixed feelings. On one end she was so happy to hear that, but on the other she felt sort of sorry for him. She knew that his life wasn't a very good one at home, and was glad that he felt at home with her and their children.

All these years of being married to Sora, Kairi realized that she didn't have to depend on him for _everything_, even though that was what it seemed like. Kids are tough to take care of, especially when there's not someone there to help, but she still did it. She took care of twins while her husband was out on tour or at some Blitzball game. Until now she used to feel ashamed that he couldn't be there, but came to a conclusion that all of those years of stress and tears only made her stronger as a person.

And they were about to start all over again.

But this time, she was ready, and Sora would be at her side.

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**A/N**: Okay, a little short, but hey, I've been waiting soo long to finish this story… xD

**Kairi**: What about the I Heart You III preview?

**Me**: Oh yeah… that… okay, I took a part out of I Heart You III, so just bear with me. (I drew the part before it in a comic that took me forever... heh) Note that this takes place about seven years later. I haven't decided on the exact year yet, but the twins will be teens.  
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**_I Heart You III Preview_**

"Akira! Come on! Tell me what happened!" Kosuke begged as he tried to keep up with Akira's quickened pace. They finally reached home, a nice two-story house on the side of the beach. Akira almost slammed the door in Kosuke's face, but Kosuke caught the door just in time.

Sora and Kairi were in the living room talking with Selphie and Riku. Kiyori was playing with Hanna, Selphie's youngest daughter on the floor. Joanna was with them too. Akira stormed upstairs.

"Hey, how was Sakiko's house?" Sora asked, hearing a door slam at the top of the stairs. Kosuke shrugged and headed into the kitchen.

"It was fine to me, but I don't know what happened with Akira."

"It doesn't sound too good." Kairi mentioned.

"I'll go talk to him." Sora rose from the couch.

"I can't guarantee he'll tell you anything. He wouldn't even tell me!" Kosuke called from the kitchen. Ignoring that, Sora headed upstairs. He knocked on Akira's door. Loud music was playing. Sora decided to just open the door since he wouldn't be able to hear him knocking anyway.

_"Ienai itami kanashimi de kizutsuita kimi yo…"_ Akira sang to himself as he listened to the music.(**A/N**: It's part of the opening song to Bleach, D-technolife; Japanese for "You've been hurt by unspeakable pain and sadness")

Akira looked up at him once he entered the room and then turned away, not bothering to turn the music down.

_"Tsunaida kimi no te o…"_ (**A/N**: "I held your hand")

Sora crossed his arms and cleared his throat. Akira sighed and turned it off, still not facing him. Sora leaned against the door and stared at his son.

"That bad, eh?" He started, hoping to get an answer. However, Akira didn't say anything; just looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, girls can be tough." Sora admitted.

"Why do girls always want something more when they know we can't handle it?" Akira finally said, leaning back in his chair with attitude. "But wait, you wouldn't know."

"I know." Sora said sarcastically. "I've never been a teenager so I've never experienced anything." Akira caught on and sighed.

"What… was it like for you?" Akira asked.

"I tell you, it wasn't easy."

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**A/N**: That's all I've decided to put up… don't wanna spoil too much now, would I? I _think_ what I'm going to do is put the I Heart You series on hold for a while and work on my other ones… but I don't know. Anyway, thanks to all those who read this story… wasn't exactly one of my best ones but I still tried. :D I have so many ideas for the next one though, unlike this one… hmm, anyway, til next time!


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